Teens at Risk on Web Sites, Experts Say - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brad Russ · 02-20-2006, 10:33 AM

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer
Sun Feb 19, 11:20 PM ET

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - On MySpace.com, teenagers can find kindred spirits who share their love of sports, their passion for photography or their crush on a Hollywood star. They can also find out where their online friends live, where they attend school, even what they look like. And so can adults.

Parents, school administrators and police are increasingly worried that teens are finding trouble online at sites like MySpace, the leader of the social-networking sites that encourage users to build larger and larger circles of friends.

Police in Middletown, Conn., are investigating recent reports that as many as seven local girls were sexually assaulted by men in their 20s who contacted them through MySpace pretending to be teenagers.

One girl allowed a man into her room while her parents were home, police said, underscoring just how in the dark parents often are about one of the most popular Web activities for teens today.

There are other reports like these scattered around the country, prompting some parents and schools to equate the likes of MySpace with the Internet's red-light district, even as many experts believe that the worries are greater than the actual dangers.

Joseph Dooley is among those who has heard it all before. A retired
FBI agent who supervised the agency's first undercover Internet task force in New England, Dooley remembers when America Online chat rooms were the rage. Teens posted detailed profiles of themselves and chatted with any of AOL's subscribers.

Chat rooms soon gave way to services like MySpace, but Dooley said the rules haven't changed and parents need to become more engaged.

"Let the kids know, on the Internet, you don't know who you're talking to," Dooley said. "Parents aren't the friends of their kids. Parents needs to know and observe what their kids are doing."

That can be daunting for working parents. Keeping tabs on the kids used to mean knowing where they went after school, not whom they talked to in their bedrooms.

So when they hear of a new fad among teens, their instinct is to worry.

And the horror stories are indeed terrifying.

Last month, for example, 14-year-old Judy Cajuste was found strangled and naked in a Newark, N.J., garbage bin. Police seized a computer from her bedroom after friends said she told them of a man in his 20s she met on MySpace. The death remains unsolved.

Beyond the threat of abduction, bullies who once made the rounds on playgrounds are using Web logs and home pages to spread rumors and lies faster than the schoolyard grapevine ever could.

MySpace profiles have been used to threaten classmates and in at least one case, to mock a school principal.

Many schools have responded by restricting Internet access from school computers. One private school in Newark, N.J., ordered students to remove all personal blogs from the Internet, even if accessed from home, to protect them from online predators.

Some parents, like Ululani Stauffacher of Eureka, Calif., forbid their children from using MySpace. Stauffacher said her 17-year-old daughter ran off for two days with a 19-year-old man she met online.

"I was going crazy," Stauffacher said. "I was just hearing things about MySpace and incidents of girls missing and some don't get returned to their families. All that I was thinking about was that my daughter was going to be another statistic."

The concerns aren't limited to MySpace, but the News Corp. unit gets the attention because of its sheer size — 54 million users, a quarter of them registered as teens.

MySpace forbids minors 13 and under from joining and provides special protections for those 14 and 15 — only those on their friends' list can view their profiles. Nonetheless, kids lie when they sign up, and many of their profiles carry photos of themselves in suggestive poses, along with personal information against the site's recommendations.

"They're licking their lips and arching their back for the camera because they can, and they have no idea of the consequences," said Parry Aftab, an Internet safety expert.

But Aftab said most MySpace users aren't getting themselves in trouble.

Experts say that banning children from using social-networking sites is akin to forbidding them from going to the mall or the movie theater for fear they'll be abducted.

"I wish I could hover over my children 24-7, but the best I can do is teach them that there are ways to keep themselves safe," said Steve Jones, a communications professor who studies new media at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In a statement, MySpace said it has developed safety tips for parents and children and devotes scores of employees to monitoring the site around the clock. The site also has ways for users to report inappropriate behavior. The company says it removes inappropriate images and closes accounts that violate its rules.

Chris DeWolfe, MySpace's chief executive, encourages parents to talk to their kids about Internet safety, but Aftab said many parents ignore advice until it is too late.

Connecticut Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano, who has strictly limited the information his 10- and 12-year-old children put on the Internet, said he was surprised to learn that they had been contacted by strangers they believed were pedophiles. His kids ignored it, Morano said, but parents need to closely monitor Internet activity.

"You wouldn't leave your kid on the side of the highway without supervision," Morano said. "You shouldn't put them on the Internet highway without the same type of supervision."

Associated Press reporter Louise Chu in San Francisco contributed to this report.

EmoJoe · 02-20-2006, 10:54 AM

well, im not gonna go on there and look for someone to "fall in love with". i dont even accept friend requests from people i dont know. so its all ok for me

Brad Russ · 02-20-2006, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe: Texas Smurftractor

well, im not gonna go on there and look for someone to "fall in love with". i dont even accept friend requests from people i dont know. so its all ok for me

Well, that's a good idea. Unfortunately not every teenager out there is as smart as you, and because of that, horrible things end up happening to them. I just think it's important to get articles like this out there for people to read, so that parents can have a better idea of the kinds of trouble their kids can get into, and for teens to see what not to do when meeting someone online.

Holly · 02-20-2006, 11:32 AM

I canceld myspace b/c of something like that ..... I be careful when i go on there I dont put real last name or real name on there or city i live in.. Most people put there real stuff on there, you just gotta be real careful on the stuff!.... I only went on myspace.com, to kill time at work and home but that gets boring so i just canceld it and tagworld.com!!! Plus people who go out there and Meet people online are Crazy I don't do that crap Thats dangerous.. I think! I only talk to people online that I Know in person,or family members or friends I talked to for a very long time that's about it. To much crap going on around the internet. I just come online to search message boards or play games either or lol ....

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 02-20-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe: Texas Smurftractor

well, im not gonna go on there and look for someone to "fall in love with". i dont even accept friend requests from people i dont know. so its all ok for me

Yeah, same with me. I've even gotten paranoid lately and deleted my school from myspace and what city I lived in.

MaydayMalonesGirl · 02-20-2006, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Mel

even as many experts believe that the worries are greater than the actual dangers.

My opinion exactly. Of course, there are enough stupid teenagers who aren't careful to make adults have the opinion that all people under the age of eighteen are at risk to be tracked down by some pedophile. In reality most people on myspace will never be in any danger just for putting up their picture and high school and such.

I hate being a teenager.

Courtnee · 02-20-2006, 04:35 PM

I'm safe

MakeMeLaugh · 02-20-2006, 06:14 PM

Think they'll ever shut down MySpace.com becasue of all of the danger that's becoming associated with it?

Brad Russ · 02-20-2006, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakeMeLaugh

Think they'll ever shut down MySpace.com becasue of all of the danger that's becoming associated with it?

Of course not. This article is just to alert kids and parents of the dangers. If an article like this can make one kid think twice about meeting with some pervert, or if it makes one parent pay closer attention to what their children do while online, then I think it's worth it to post it. It certainly doesn't hurt. I don't think anyone was suggesting that myspace would, or should be shut down.

Karen* · 02-20-2006, 07:04 PM

Ugh.

robyrob · 02-20-2006, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock Princess

I'm safe

i'm not

AllIWantIsYourClutch · 02-21-2006, 09:54 AM

If you have some level of intelligence and realize that it's probably not a good idea to meet someone 20 years older than you that you don't know, then I don't see what the problem is. Myspace doesn't give out your address or your phone number...that's up to the people who use it. Don't be an idiot, and you won't get hurt.

robyrob · 02-21-2006, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Mel

Of course not. This article is just to alert kids and parents of the dangers. If an article like this can make one kid think twice about meeting with some pervert, or if it makes one parent pay closer attention to what their children do while online, then I think it's worth it to post it. It certainly doesn't hurt. I don't think anyone was suggesting that myspace would, or should be shut down.

there's a rumor going around that Foxnewscorp may soon start charging $5 for MySpace - there would still be a free "no-frills" version, but for the premium features you'd have to pay (personally i think they'd be shooting themselves in the foot, but i have underestimated the willingness of teens to part with their money before)

Brad Russ · 02-21-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllIWantIsYourClutch

If you have some level of intelligence and realize that it's probably not a good idea to meet someone 20 years older than you that you don't know, then I don't see what the problem is. Myspace doesn't give out your address or your phone number...that's up to the people who use it. Don't be an idiot, and you won't get hurt.

Yeah, but alot of these 20 year old's claim to be teenagers, and that's one of the tricks they use in getting people to meet with them. Another thing to keep in mind, is that these kinds of people usually target lonely, and insecure kids, who end up meeting up with them, against there better judgment, so there are many other factors that come into play. It's not always simply about someone being smart, or stupid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robyrob

there's a rumor going around that Foxnewscorp may soon start charging $5 for MySpace - there would still be a free "no-frills" version, but for the premium features you'd have to pay (personally i think they'd be shooting themselves in the foot, but i have underestimated the willingness of teens to part with their money before)

That would definitely suck, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. As successful as MySpace has become, I'm actually kind of surprised that they haven't already started charging people.

Polniaczek033 · 02-21-2006, 04:12 PM

you don't need intelligence to be safe on myspace, you just need common sense. stuff like this is making me sick to my stomach. people are so dumb and are ruining the fun for everyone.

02-20-2006, 10:33 AM	#1
Brad Russ Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 17, 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 10,085	Teens at Risk on Web Sites, Experts Say By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer Sun Feb 19, 11:20 PM ET NEW HAVEN, Conn. - On MySpace.com, teenagers can find kindred spirits who share their love of sports, their passion for photography or their crush on a Hollywood star. They can also find out where their online friends live, where they attend school, even what they look like. And so can adults. Parents, school administrators and police are increasingly worried that teens are finding trouble online at sites like MySpace, the leader of the social-networking sites that encourage users to build larger and larger circles of friends. Police in Middletown, Conn., are investigating recent reports that as many as seven local girls were sexually assaulted by men in their 20s who contacted them through MySpace pretending to be teenagers. One girl allowed a man into her room while her parents were home, police said, underscoring just how in the dark parents often are about one of the most popular Web activities for teens today. There are other reports like these scattered around the country, prompting some parents and schools to equate the likes of MySpace with the Internet's red-light district, even as many experts believe that the worries are greater than the actual dangers. Joseph Dooley is among those who has heard it all before. A retired FBI agent who supervised the agency's first undercover Internet task force in New England, Dooley remembers when America Online chat rooms were the rage. Teens posted detailed profiles of themselves and chatted with any of AOL's subscribers. Chat rooms soon gave way to services like MySpace, but Dooley said the rules haven't changed and parents need to become more engaged. "Let the kids know, on the Internet, you don't know who you're talking to," Dooley said. "Parents aren't the friends of their kids. Parents needs to know and observe what their kids are doing." That can be daunting for working parents. Keeping tabs on the kids used to mean knowing where they went after school, not whom they talked to in their bedrooms. So when they hear of a new fad among teens, their instinct is to worry. And the horror stories are indeed terrifying. Last month, for example, 14-year-old Judy Cajuste was found strangled and naked in a Newark, N.J., garbage bin. Police seized a computer from her bedroom after friends said she told them of a man in his 20s she met on MySpace. The death remains unsolved. Beyond the threat of abduction, bullies who once made the rounds on playgrounds are using Web logs and home pages to spread rumors and lies faster than the schoolyard grapevine ever could. MySpace profiles have been used to threaten classmates and in at least one case, to mock a school principal. Many schools have responded by restricting Internet access from school computers. One private school in Newark, N.J., ordered students to remove all personal blogs from the Internet, even if accessed from home, to protect them from online predators. Some parents, like Ululani Stauffacher of Eureka, Calif., forbid their children from using MySpace. Stauffacher said her 17-year-old daughter ran off for two days with a 19-year-old man she met online. "I was going crazy," Stauffacher said. "I was just hearing things about MySpace and incidents of girls missing and some don't get returned to their families. All that I was thinking about was that my daughter was going to be another statistic." The concerns aren't limited to MySpace, but the News Corp. unit gets the attention because of its sheer size — 54 million users, a quarter of them registered as teens. MySpace forbids minors 13 and under from joining and provides special protections for those 14 and 15 — only those on their friends' list can view their profiles. Nonetheless, kids lie when they sign up, and many of their profiles carry photos of themselves in suggestive poses, along with personal information against the site's recommendations. "They're licking their lips and arching their back for the camera because they can, and they have no idea of the consequences," said Parry Aftab, an Internet safety expert. But Aftab said most MySpace users aren't getting themselves in trouble. Experts say that banning children from using social-networking sites is akin to forbidding them from going to the mall or the movie theater for fear they'll be abducted. "I wish I could hover over my children 24-7, but the best I can do is teach them that there are ways to keep themselves safe," said Steve Jones, a communications professor who studies new media at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In a statement, MySpace said it has developed safety tips for parents and children and devotes scores of employees to monitoring the site around the clock. The site also has ways for users to report inappropriate behavior. The company says it removes inappropriate images and closes accounts that violate its rules. Chris DeWolfe, MySpace's chief executive, encourages parents to talk to their kids about Internet safety, but Aftab said many parents ignore advice until it is too late. Connecticut Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano, who has strictly limited the information his 10- and 12-year-old children put on the Internet, said he was surprised to learn that they had been contacted by strangers they believed were pedophiles. His kids ignored it, Morano said, but parents need to closely monitor Internet activity. "You wouldn't leave your kid on the side of the highway without supervision," Morano said. "You shouldn't put them on the Internet highway without the same type of supervision." Associated Press reporter Louise Chu in San Francisco contributed to this report.
	__________________ St. John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Currently my favorite song.

02-20-2006, 10:54 AM	#2
EmoJoe Cool cool cool Forum Addict Join Date: Apr 23, 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 71,478	well, im not gonna go on there and look for someone to "fall in love with". i dont even accept friend requests from people i dont know. so its all ok for me
	__________________ "I know the difference between TV and reality, Jeff. TV has structure, it makes sense, there are likable leading men. In real life, we have this. We have you." - Abed Nadir, Community www.sitcomsarestupid.blogspot.com

02-20-2006, 04:35 PM	#7
Courtnee MAN VS SAMMICH. Forum Star Join Date: Mar 23, 2005 Location: Louisiana Posts: 16,413	I'm safe
	__________________ Whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection A freckle on the nose of life's complexion The Cinderella or the shine apple of its eye I gotta fly once, I gotta try once, Only can die once, right, sir? Ooh, life is juicy, juicy and you see, I gotta have my bite, sir. Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer" I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer Don't bring around the cloud to rain on my parade

02-20-2006, 07:04 PM	#10
Karen* paradox. Forum Superstar Join Date: Jan 08, 2005 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 28,365	Ugh.
	__________________ karen on \| twitter \| tumblr

02-21-2006, 04:12 PM	#15
Polniaczek033 believe. Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 26, 2002 Location: edinboro. Posts: 4,634	you don't need intelligence to be safe on myspace, you just need common sense. stuff like this is making me sick to my stomach. people are so dumb and are ruining the fun for everyone.
	__________________ mindfulness.

02-20-2006, 11:32 AM	#4
Holly I LOVE SUNSETS :) Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: Albany NY Posts: 5,748	I canceld myspace b/c of something like that ..... I be careful when i go on there I dont put real last name or real name on there or city i live in.. Most people put there real stuff on there, you just gotta be real careful on the stuff!.... I only went on myspace.com, to kill time at work and home but that gets boring so i just canceld it and tagworld.com!!! Plus people who go out there and Meet people online are Crazy I don't do that crap Thats dangerous.. I think! I only talk to people online that I Know in person,or family members or friends I talked to for a very long time that's about it. To much crap going on around the internet. I just come online to search message boards or play games either or lol ....

02-20-2006, 06:14 PM	#8
MakeMeLaugh Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 20, 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 78	Think they'll ever shut down MySpace.com becasue of all of the danger that's becoming associated with it?

02-21-2006, 09:54 AM	#12
AllIWantIsYourClutch peaceout. Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 02, 2001 Location: Illinois. Posts: 53,424	If you have some level of intelligence and realize that it's probably not a good idea to meet someone 20 years older than you that you don't know, then I don't see what the problem is. Myspace doesn't give out your address or your phone number...that's up to the people who use it. Don't be an idiot, and you won't get hurt.