In my view the reporting that I have seen on BBC Breakfast features the wrong messages.
The concept of parents and teachers 'policing ' their children approaches the problem in a way that will perpetuate dangerous chats.
Children are rightly intrigued by the unknown, they want to take risks and need to be encouraged to do so but we must do this with parental guidance. When they want to climb trees we don't prevent them totally. We encourage them to develop their confidence in gauging the risk by giving them advice based on our experience.
We don't ban them from climbing because they might hurt themselves. When very young we climb alongside them so that they learn how to make good judgements and learn to cope with danger.
Parents and teachers should go online with their charges and join in with the interactions with strangers, so that children learn how to judge whether people are genuine and how to deal with potential danger.
What is needed is for young people to develop confidence in dealing with people older than themselves instead of spending most of their time with their own age group. No wonder we end up with a gang culture where adults are regarded as 'the enemy'.
In the classroom, wouldn't it be great if the whole class were working together sharing their experiences out in the open so that issues could be discussed? If someone came across a suspicious character the whole class could get involved in how to deal with it. The teacher could perhaps take over and guide this person into the hands of the police if necessary. Let's have an atmosphere where parents show how to develop confidence, ask questions, develop judgment and deal with difficult situations.
This approach will bring parents and teachers closer to their children, rather than alienating them. Then POS (Parent Over Shoulder) is no longer a message but rather a cry from the bedroom:
"Mum, here, quick, I've got a dodgy character"
"Now how shall we play it?"
We need to bring people of all ages together, not set them against each other.
2 comments:
The risk posed to kids by predators in internet chatrooms is over-exagerrated. It should be remembered that most child abuse is perpetuated by either family, or 'friends', who purposely inviegle themselves into a position of trust, through which they gain access to children. As a society, we need to explain to children that the behaviour of some adults is not always right, and encourage them to discuss anything that they feel is untoward.
If there were more interesting alternative activities in say the Community Centre or Ford Park where people of all ages met face to face; would our kids want to go on-line?
We have a great time doing Pottery in Town ages 1 to 75 inclusive!
There are enthusiasts in the middle of Croftlands doing model railway . . another is mad keen on dress making . .
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