The same anonymity that shields the online
predator from detection can also shield juveniles who choose to engage in
criminal activity. Parents of children prosecuted by the District Attorney’s
Office often are amazed to learn their honor student has engaged in criminal
activities online. Much like the kids who fall prey to Internet predators,
juveniles who commit crime via the Internet spend too much unsupervised time
online.
·
Steal
identifying information on other people (such as credit card and Social
Security numbers) to make online purchases, ruining the victim’s good credit.
·
Join groups that
steal or pirate copyrighted software. For more information, http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/piracypitfalls.htm
for more detailed information.
·
Create bogus
eBay accounts to sell non-existent merchandise.
·
Join criminal
syndicates that give kids valid credit card numbers in exchange for accepting
and forwarding stolen merchandise.
·
Hack into
corporate servers and steal or destroy information.
·
Chat with members
of hate groups or cults and be lulled into their illegal activities.
·
Download
copyrighted songs costing the music industry millions of dollars in lost
revenue.
Wrong. Even if you have no knowledge of what your child is doing on the
Web, you can be held responsible if he or she is convicted of an
Internet-related crime. Examples of several types of juvenile criminal
activity in which parents could be held responsible – and in some cases have
been held responsible – are listed at.: http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/realcases.htm#3
Considering the consequences - heavy fines
and other penalties - it makes sense for parents to monitor their children’s
Internet use.
Be on the lookout for clues that your child
is engaged in online crime. Warning signs that your child may be engaged in
illegal online activity include:
·
Your child uses
the Internet excessively.
·
Your child is
secretive about his or her online activities.
·
Your child turns
off the computer or changes software applications when someone else enters the
room.
·
Your child waits
until other family members are asleep or away from home before going online.
·
Your child uses
online accounts that you do not recognize or has multiple e-mail addresses.
·
You find
software on the computer you did not purchase.
·
You find
illegally obtained software on your computer. To learn more about the dangers
and liabilities of possessing illegal software, click here.
·
You find credit
card numbers on the computer that are not your own.
·
Your child has
an eBay account when by law you must be 18 years of age to have one.
·
Your child
receives unusual phone calls or packages or letters in the mail.
Concerned Web Parents can protect their kids by doing the
following:
·
Talk to your
children about the crimes kids
can commit online, emphasizing that such crimes are prosecuted and are
accompanied by jail time and/or probation. A criminal record for a juvenile can
be a life-altering experience, especially for those who may be applying to
college or military academies.
·
Keep the
computer in a family room so that you can monitor the Internet use. Tell
your children that you have the right to monitor their computer use and that
if you suspect there is a problem, you will randomly monitor their Internet
activities.
·
Install an
operating system that makes you the administrator, for example, Windows XP or Mac OS X. Create a password that will
allow only you to control the computer’s Internet settings, online content, and
the software that can be installed. This is a very important step in monitoring
your child’s online activities, even when you are away from the home.
·
To find out how
to take control of your Windows XP computer, look at http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/takecontrol.htm
·
To find out how
to take control of your Macintosh OS X computer, look at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=34674&SaveKCWindowURL=http://kbase.info.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/kbase.woa/wa/SaveKCToHomePage&searchMode=Assisted&kbhost=kbase.info.apple.com&showButton=false&randomValue=100&show
·
If you have an
earlier version of Windows such as Windows 2000, Windows 98, or Windows NT and
would like to know how to take control of your computer, do the following:
Click "Start" on your taskbar, select "Help" when the new
window opens, click on the "Index" tab, then type in the words user
account. Follow the instructions provided to become the administrator.
Note: If you
are unable to establish yourself as your computer’s administrator after
following the steps in the links above, then someone else has been designated
as the administrator. If the administrator is your child, you can regain
control of your computer through your child’s user ID and password. Once you
become the new administrator, you can control the Internet content and Web
sites your child has access to.
·
Do not allow
your child to have multiple e-mail accounts or create accounts without your
knowledge. Insist that your children
give you their e-mail and chat passwords. Internet accounts and primary
screen names should be in your name.
·
Go online
with your kids and find out who
they chat with and prohibit the use of private chat rooms with people
they don’t know personally. Ask them about the people that are on their
contact and/or buddy list. To become more familiar with Instant Messaging,
click http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/im.htm
·
Tell your child
to let you know immediately if a stranger tries to make contact with
them on the Web, whether through an Instant Message, chat room, or e-mail.
The stranger may be an adult pretending to be a child, or an Internet con
artist looking to recruit kids to do his online dirty work.
·
Tell your
children they are not allowed to purchase or sell anything on the Internet
without your consent. Nor may they create an auction house account
because they are minors, and the law prohibits them from doing so.
·
Make sure your
child knows never to divulge any personal information on the Internet,
including his or her name, age, photos, gender, physical description, hobbies
(especially illegal ones such as hacking, pirating, etc.), telephone number,
address, etc. The Internet is a place where children can
quickly be recruited to join fraudulent auction house rings, hacker clubs, and
other criminal syndicates.
·
Set rules as
to what sites your children are allowed to visit and which ones they are
not. Be on the lookout for sites where kids can go to illegally
download software, and watch for "hacking" sites that teach people
how to infiltrate business and government computer systems. For more
information about illegal software sites, look at http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/piracypitfalls.htm
·
Set time
limits on their computer use.
Children who spend substantially more time in front of the computer than they
do interacting with their friends in person or on the phone may be prone to
take part in criminal online activity. Do not let your children’s
Internet identity define who they are. Kids need real world social outlets.
·
Do not allow
your children to chat (send Instant Messages) while doing homework. To find out how to monitor your child’s Instant
Messages, look at http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/im.htm
·
Consider
purchasing third-party filtering software such as Cyberpatrol or NetNanny.
You should be able to find software that meets your needs at most software
electronics stores.
·
Look at http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/im.htm
to see if the software on your computer was legally purchased.
·
Become familiar
with the Web browser your kids use, and restrict the type of content
(violence, sex, and language) that can be viewed.
·
To learn how to
restrict Internet Explorer content, look at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/security/contentadv/config.mspx
·
To learn how to
restrict Netscape content, look at http://wp.netscape.com/browsers/6/safety.html
Kids too often use the Internet to engage in
personal verbal attacks and other activities aimed at hurting peers. The Web
provides another way to bully, spread vicious rumors, or harass others. Young
people can verbally attack someone through e-mail and by posting messages about
an individual on a Web page. In extreme cases, such as when the language
threatens someone’s life or is aimed at a specific person because of that
individual’s ethnicity, race, religion, or sexual preference, that conduct may
be prosecuted.
Cyberlibel
is a term used to describe
defamation that takes place in cyberspace, meaning
through the Internet. This includes false and damaging statements made about
another person through e-mail,
message boards, blogs, chatrooms, on Web sites, or any
other Internet-based
communication medium.
But even when online speech is protected
under the First Amendment, it can still hurt the intended target. Children who
are repeatedly bullied or harassed by their peers suffer emotional anguish that
sometimes manifests itself in violence toward others. Parents who do not
approve of their children picking on other kids at school should be equally
concerned about their children engaging in such behavior over the Internet.
If you find out your child is bullying
someone through e-mails or is defaming people through Web page postings,
consider doing the following:
·
Ask your child
why he or she is engaging in hurtful behavior.
·
Explain why such
conduct is inappropriate and how it could have negative consequences, including
lawsuits and even criminal prosecution in some cases.
·
Get the e-mail
address of the individual your child is harassing, and ask that person to
contact you if it ever happens again.
Tell your child that continuing with hurtful
online activities will result in negative consequences, including the loss of
computer privileges.
Sources:
· District Attorney’s Office of Los Angeles California
· http://cyberlibel.com/liailit.html