Should MySpace Really Be Expected to Ease the Troubles of Irresponsible Parents?

Recently, MySpace has said that they will be issuing online Amber Alerts to members who have missing children in their communities. It also will be adding a new safety feature that prevents people over 18 years of age from contacting underage members and vice versa. Both new features are a likely response to the lawsuits filed by four families who claim their underage daughters were sexually assaulted by adults they met on the site.

In the first case, a 15 year old in Texas says she was lured into a meeting, then drugged and assaulted. The second family was also that of a 15 year old. The third family had two children, 14 and 15, who were sexually assaulted. And the fourth family claims a 19 year old lied to their 14 year old daughter about still being in high school to gain her trust, and then sexually assaulted her once he had gained it. The fourth family is suing News Corp., the owner of MySpace, for $30 million in damages.

All four families accuse MySpace of "negligence, recklessness, fraud and negligent misrepresentation." What no one has openly accused these families of however is child abuse. What should be being investigated is how any of these girls would have been allowed to meet adults or arrange meetings without their parents knowing about it. Do these parents really have no idea what their 14 and 15 year old daughters are doing online all day or where they are going? The actions that weren't taken by the families of these girls should be considered reckless and negligent.

The really puzzling part is how one of these families actually had not one, but TWO daughters sexually abused by adult MySpace users. Are there absolutely no rules or regulations in this household that could have prevented this?
What seems to be missing in these households is the family connection and parent-child relationship that should prevent 14 and 15 year olds from seeking love and friendship from online adults. Simple regulations in the household regarding time usage and allowed websites could have prevented this. Honesty, trust and an open relationship within the family could have given the parents the opportunity to talk with their children about who they were meeting online and discuss the dangers involved in such practices.

Although these girls may think they're grown enough to make smart decisions, their parents should have the common sense to realize that their daughters are still children and shouldn't be given free reign on the internet, especially not networking sites.

Although the new features that MySpace is adding might make things safer, the ignorance of the parents should be the first thing blamed in these cases. Instead of openly bashing MySpace and requesting millions in damages for not protecting their daughters, they should be ashamed that they had no idea of what was going on.

Of course we will not see the end of the responsibility shift game that these parents play when they fail. This is only the beginning of the new era where corporations will be expected to raise and protect children instead of the homes they live in.