环球英语 — 699：Protecting Children on the Internet
Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Adam Navis.
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And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Ellie lives in the United Kingdom. When she was fourteen years old, she spent a lot of time on the computer. Ellie and her friends used the social networking website MySpace. On this site, people can create individual profile pages. These pages show their interests. Friends can send messages to each other.
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Ellie liked using her MySpace page. She had many friends that looked at her page. One day, a person that Ellie did not recognize asked to be her friend. Ellie saw the request on her MySpace page. The person claimed to be a twenty-six year old woman. Ellie accepted the friend request.
Voice 1
Ellie did not know much about this person. In fact, her new friend was actually a fifty-five year old man named Ian. Ian was watching Ellie’s MySpace page very carefully. He read the comments that Ellie made. He read what Ellie and her friends were saying to each other. He soon knew a lot of information about Ellie. He even knew what events Ellie and her friends planned to attend. One day Ian even followed Ellie on a school trip.
Voice 2
On this trip, Ian tried to talk to Ellie and her friends. They suspected that something was wrong. They did not know this man! Using her mobile phone, Ellie took a picture of the man. She gave the picture to the police. The police searched his home. There, the police found many sexual images of children. Ian was an Internet predator.
Voice 1
Internet predators are people who use the Internet to harm others. Some predators steal other peoples’ private information. Some send unkind messages. Some try to meet their victims. These predators may try to force a person into sexual acts. Many predators find it easiest to persuade innocent children. Children often do not understand the dangers of the Internet. They do not recognize when someone they meet on the Internet is a predator.
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It is important to protect children from Internet harm. There are many organizations working to stop Internet predators. Many governments are creating rules for Internet sites. And, the people who create social Internet sites like MySpace and Facebook are trying to create tools that will help protect their users. But Internet safety really starts in the home. Parents or trusted adults are the best protection for children using the Internet.
Voice 1
That’s right! Safety starts in the home. And, it starts by understanding the dangers that exist. Adults must understand that predators are real. And predators want to harm children.
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The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, has written a Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety. This guide explains how an Internet Predator may operate. It lists signs that a child may be at risk. And finally, the guide offers ways that adults can protect children.
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First, predators operate in different ways. Some work very slowly. They will slowly gain the respect of their victim. They will be kind. They may offer gifts. They will be good listeners. They will show interest in what children are interested in like music, television and movies. Slowly the predator will start to include sex into their talks with the child.
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Other predators work quickly. They may talk about sex immediately. Or, using the Internet, they can show children sexual pictures. They may even ask to meet the child. They may promise the child a special gift. But really they mean to harm the child.
Voice 1
Adults should be especially concerned for children older than eleven or twelve. At this age, many children want to be independent from their parents. They want to explore on their own. They may even begin to show interest in sex. Predators may find it easier to persuade an older child to go against their parents.
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Understanding how predators operate is a good first step to protecting children. But, adults should also know that victims of predators often show signs. According to the FBI website, these are some of the signs adults can look for.
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If a child spends large amounts of time on the Internet alone at night, she may be a victim.
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If an adult finds sexual images on a child’s computer, the child may be a victim. He may have received those images from a predator.
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If a child receives telephone calls, mail or gifts from strangers, she may be a victim.
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If a child quickly turns off his computer or changes the image when you enter the room, he may be a victim.
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If a child’s attitude changes and she starts acting differently, she may be a victim.
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So, what can be done? What can adults do to protect the children around them? Here are some of the ideas the FBI offers.
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Teach your children about the dangers of the Internet. Help them understand what predators are and how they work.
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Keep the computer in a common room in the home. Do not let children spend time alone on the Internet.
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Search your computer often. Look at the computer’s history. See if there are any sexual images or harmful material on your computer.
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Do not let your child have any private pages on the Internet.
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Teach your children never to meet face to face with people they do not know. Teach them never to accept strange pictures. Teach them not to trust people they do not know on the Internet.
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And finally, know your children. Talk to them. Spend time on the computer with them. See what Internet sites they visit. The more you know your child, the easier it is to know when something is wrong.
Voice 1
The Internet opens new worlds for children. They can learn a lot from searching the Internet. And the Internet can be a lot of fun too! But, remember that there are dangers. Protecting children from danger on the Internet starts at home. Talk with your children today!
