Blaming the Internet : The Behavior of Children

The media has long been blamed for people, especially children's, behaviors. Thanks to modern technology people now have a new source of blame...the Internet. We often hear stories about various crimes that have been committed where the Internet is involved. Just today, I read an article about a woman who was sexually assaulted by a man she met via the Internet. It was mentioned several times how they met, but what wasn't mentioned was the dialogue and actions that led up to the assault. Being a woman, I'll be the first to tell you that nobody deserves to be a victim of any crime, especially rape. Often in the case of sexual assault the woman tends to be blamed for the actions that led up to the incident. This may or may not be true. We will probably never know, because we know very little about the case other than how they met. At any rate, people are responsible for their own actions. If someone is arranging to meet someone via Internet they should recognize that there is a certain risk they are taking. What is equally important is to realize that these crimes were happening long before the Internet was a twinkle in anyone's eye. True, the Internet does create a false sense of security, but the person on the other end of the screen is just that...a person. They are someone that you could live next door to, share an office with, or even attend church with. Women are often attacked by people they know or that they could meet in any random spot. It does not soften the blow to say "they met on the Internet".

When it comes to children, they are often fortunate to have the technology that is at their fingertips today. I mean, I learned to type on a typewriter that is probably in a museum display somewhere next to a T-Rex. The teenager of today has unlimited amounts of information available to them. Socializing has been taken to a whole new level with networking websites. With this increase in information, comes a increase in risks for children and parents. It is pretty common to hear about some teenage girl being attacked by a sexual predator they met via the Internet. Again, let me remind you, this predator can be anyone from anywhere. It is not the Internet that caused him/her to become a pedophile. Every time an event like this takes place some group somewhere decides that the Internet is to blame and that a website needs tighter security precautions. My question is...what ever happened to parents being parents? I realize that with an increase in single parent homes and divorce rates, parenting is getting more and more difficult everyday. I also realize that as a parent I am responsible for my daughter's well-being and I cannot blame someone else for not supervising my child.

It is time to realize that the world is always changing and not all change is for the better. It is important to talk to our children above and beyond "Don't talk to strangers." It is also important to realize that kids will be kids and crime will always exist. Let's start to take responsibility for our own actions. Let's educate our children and instill some morals and good judgment.