By Michael Grooms
Imagine with me, if you will, a room. This room is filled with items of personal interests to someone. There is nothing out of place about this room, except for fact that the walls of this room consist of a series of doors all around the room. There are many doors, and they each are labeled with a plaque that appears to describe what lies behind each door. If you were to go through each of these doors you would find other rooms. Most of these rooms would also be lined with many other doors that lead to other places. Some of the doors in this room have familiar titles on them. Some lead to rooms that are related to education, others to hobbies, and such like. As you explore these rooms you find many things of interest to you, but you see some doors that look forbidding, yet somehow inviting. As you read the titles on these doors you suddenly realize that these doors promise forbidden pleasures. You know these rooms are dangerous. You know that they are sinful. You know you do not need to open the doors. You see other doors that send a cold chill down your spine. You know that behind these doors are the worst kinds of deviant behavior. You recognize the warning signs that others less wise might miss. Pedophiles, murderers, rapists, and all sorts of evil lurk behind these doors. You draw back and rush out of the room, suddenly afraid. You have to leave this place! Once safely outside the room, you look back and with horror recognize the door that leads to this room. It is your child’s bedroom.
 
“What kind of nightmare is this?” you might ask. This nightmare could be your reality if in your child’s bedroom is a computer that has access to the internet. All of the things described above and more are easily assessable to anyone with a computer and an internet connection. The internet can be a wonderful thing if used wisely and for productive reasons. It could be a disastrous thing if one is lured into the dark abyss of internet pornography or chat rooms with predators lying in wait. Parents, please do not let your children, or yourself, be caught in these traps. What can you do?
 

  • Do not surf! Many sites appear to be innocent but have dangers. Approach the internet with a purpose. Let it be a useful tool to accomplish a productive goal.
  • Use only search tools with filters. Be sure the filters are set to a “strict” level.
  • Use filtering software that blocks offensive material.
  • Get that computer out of your child’s room!
  • Keep the computer in a high profile location.
  • Supervise your child’s internet activity. There are ways to know what kind of activity has been taking place on the internet. Let it be known that if the “History” or “Cookies” are to be cleared, you will do it.
  • No chat rooms allowed! Pedophiles don’t hang out in the “Pedophile Chat Room.” They go where your kids are.

 
Let your kids know that you trust them…but you love them too much to allow them in such dangerous territory without your protective presence.