Sunday, January 30, 2011

Article Review

I was recently given an article, which was very interesting. It is titled Use of Social Networking Sites in Online Sex Crimes Against Minors: An Examination of National Incidence and Means of Utilization by Kimberly Mitchell, David Kindlehor, Lisa Jones, and Janis Wolak, Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010), pages 183-190.

This article studied law enforcements incidents with crimes against children, regarding social networking sites. The purpose of this study, the authors felt, was to display the truth of crimes against children statistics, because the media has led people to have misconceptions about these crimes. The authors state that sex crimes against children have actually decreased, since the mid-1990s. However, in my  opinion, I believe that any "decline" is due to the fact that this crime is typically unreported...leading the true statistics incredibly under-representative of the true nature. I believe the under-reporting rate is due to a number of reasons:
1. There is stigma attached to being a victim of this type of crime
2. Predators have gotten smarter and are great manipulators. Once they have gotten what they want, whether it be a photograph or a sexual encounter with a child, they are very skilled at manipulating the child into thinking that this action is normal, and should happen again. As well, the predators are great at blackmailing, and scaring the kids into continually doing the act. They may say...I will tell people what you did, if you don't do it again. The kid, being afraid of their friends and family finding out, will continue to do the act in silence.
3. Some kids like the attention they receive from these older men. They may think that this guy giving them all this attention online, isn't a "bad guy", rather a good guy that makes them feel good about themselves. They may not see a problem with the act, therefore, will never report it or tell their parents.
4. The kid believes the guy is a good guy, and doesn't want them to get into trouble. The pedophiles are skilled at manipulating children into believing that they have good intentions and that people just "don't understand them".

This article provided some good statistical findings. They interviewed law enforcement agencies. The first round was via questionnaire and the second via phone. The statistics which stuck out to me are:
1. The predator used SNSs to initiate a relationship with the child. They may not utilize the SNS to disseminate pornography, or to set up a meeting instantly, but they used these sites to start a TRUSTING relationship. These guys often use the sites to seem "cool" to the kid. Hey we have this in common or that in common. It is a way to show who "they are" and seem normal to the kids. It is also a way to get to know who the kids are. Kids often share their entire life on these sites, sometimes even their phone number or address. This is a starting point for these predators. They may move to chatrooms, texting, or phone calls. This was done in 50% of victim involved cases.
2. 72% of the cases, the predator used SNSs to send messages to the victim. I believe this is part of the grooming process, same as number 1. However, messages, and SNS "chats" helps to further build a relationship with the child. Builds "trust".
3. In 69% of the cases, predators utilized the sites to get information on the victim. I believe the true statistic to be much higher. However, I believe a lot of predators wouldn't be honest about it. When anyone looks at someones SNS profile, they look at the likes, interests, school, whereabouts, relationship status, photographs, etc. A predator would use this to gain trust in the victim. They (predators) are good at using this for their advantage. They may talk to the kid and say "Oh I love Plain White T's, what about you". They may only be saying that because the kid is a fan of the band, or has them listed in their interests. The kid, not realizing that this is posted on their site, may think, oh wow, we have a lot in common. They don't realize that the predator is doing this to manipulate, gain trust, and groom the child.

Children need to learn the behaviors of these individuals. They need to know what these guys are REALLY doing and motivations they have. If a 30 year old man is "facebooking" a 14/15 year old, they need to not be flattered, and realize that this is NOT normal and NOT ok. They need to not trust these guys and learn to keep their guard up. I truly believe that any decline in statistics is due to a decline in reporting as well. These predators are getting smarter and smarter. They are learning how to manipulate better and hide their actions, so that they go unnoticed by law enforcement.

Sites

There are a few sites that I want my readers to be aware of. First is the sex offender registry. Please view this link. You can search for a specific person by looking up their first and last name. OR you can search by state, county, city, or zip code. There is also a site where you can search by state. This will give you the option to search your address, and see who is located in your area. The sex offender registry will give you the sex offenders address, in some cases their place of employment, a photograph, and offense details. This is a good site to check on occasion for your own safety. Whether you are viewing because you have a child, or for your own safety, this site is worth checking out. Sexually violent predators are among us, and it is good to be familiar of who is living around you.

Another site that I love is called MyCrimeSpace. The author of this site posts about those who utilize SNS's to commit crimes. It is a good way to read some cases that have happened on SNS's. I utilize this site when I present on the dangers of SNS's, to give some real life examples. Enjoy!

The Social Network

I saw the movie, "The Social Network" for the first time this weekend!! I must say, I really liked it. It got me thinking a lot about SNS's--the developments, the impact on our culture, and problems associated. It's really incredible to me that Mark Zuckerberg was able to develop the site in such a short amount of time. I know the movie isn't completely accurate (in fact, I read online that it was about 40% accurate), but the fact that someone can just sit down and develop a site that ends up having a great impact on the world, is mind blowing. Why couldn't I think of Facebook!? :)

I would love to hear from the "big wigs" of SNS's, and their thoughts on crime trends on these sites. Facebook, MySpace, MyYearbook, among others, are notorious for crimes against children on these sites. People on these sites exploit, bully, harass, entice, among others crimes towards children. I believe that this is an unexpected and unintended trend of SNS's. However, I would love to hear their thoughts on the issue. There is no way to end the problem of crimes against children...however, SNS's can work with law enforcement to cut down the problem. They can report abuse on these sites to NCMEC. SNS's typically have a security team, which monitors activity on their site. Granted, with a large number of members, it is hard to keep up with activity that all members are doing. There are some sites which work very well with NCMEC and support the mission of cutting down crimes against children, such as MyYearbook. Their security team is very good. And then there are some, which do not work well with NCMEC. I won't name names. I don't understand why these sites wouldn't want to work with law enforcement to cut down crimes against children. I would love to pick the minds of the "big wigs" to see what their thoughts are on crimes against children and reasoning for not working with law enforcement. And for those who do work with LE and NCMEC, learning about their viewpoint on the issues.

Crimes against children needs to be combated. These are crimes that have been around since the beginning of time, however, with the development of the Internet and SNS's, these crimes have become more prevalent and easily accessible for people. Pre-Internet, people had to go to a store, or order the materials through the mail. Now-a-days, people can access from their computer, phones, even gaming devices. SNS's  are a place where pedophiles know that they can go to meet children. Or they can meet others who share their desires, on these sites. SNS's need to realize this problem and work with LE and NCMEC at cutting down this problem!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

BEAR DOWN!

Today is going to be a fun day! Da Bears are taking on Green Bay in the playoffs!!! I have been so excited for today. I have my bears gear ready to go, and have been working on hw all week so that I wouldn't have anything to do today! With that...

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;
Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.
Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown.
You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.



Enjoy the day!!!!




Saturday, January 22, 2011

Social Networking Sites

For class, Tech 621, we were required to do some readings defining social networking sites (SNSs) and find 20 new SNSs that we didn't know existed. Completing this assignment I realized there are hundreds of thousands of SNSs out there! I knew that there were a lot, however, I never realized the vast quantity out there! I urge readers to simply Google "social networking sites", and you too will see the wide array of SNSs. Anything you can imagine (ex: sports, photographs, countries, music, games, etc, etc...) has a SNS. There are even sites to help you build your own SNS!! As I look through the list of SNSs that my classmates had found, along with what I had found, I started to think, what are the three broad umbrellas that these sites can fall under? I came up with:
Professional
Friendship
Common Interest

By professional, I mean that these are sites which the goal is to help people to find jobs, network with professional people in their field, and to explore careers. However, I think a lot of times people find their "friends' and network with them on these sites.
Friendship, is just that. I mean that these sites are revolved around maintaining friendship. Also, I believe dating would fall into these sites. You are meeting people for a variety of reasons, and using the sites to learn more about others, to talk about who you are, and explore what you enjoy.
Common Interest, I believe that this would be sites such as photograph sites, or music, or games, sports, etc. The list can go on. These are sites where you don't necessarily know the other people, or may never know these people, but that is OK. You are free to talk about your passions. However, sometimes these sites can form legitimate friendships, lead to dating, etc.

I strongly believe that defining these sites, and placing them under umbrellas is not black and white. SNSs can fall under multiple categories. During the readings, they attempted to define these sites. I personally think the best definition is that SNSs are a platform for people to accomplish their goal, whether their goal is to meet professionals, make friends, maintain friendships, or to explore their passions and interests. The great thing about the Internet, is that you can define YOURSELF however you desire (though this can also be a scary thing, when it comes to criminals looking to exploit others). In the real world, people can see who someone is as they walk by. For instance, if someone saw me, they would know that I am tall, have long blonde hair, enjoy the color pink, and other information about me based on what setting they see me in. Online, you don't have that opportunity, since "you" are a profile page. These sites allow you to depict yourself virtually. You can say "I am tall, I like the color pink, I like this band, I like that band" etc.

I think that SNSs are a great thing!...as long as people are safe on them, of course! :)

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Safe Internet

Researching online criminals and their habits has led me to realize that the Internet can be an extremely scary place, especially for children (children being an individual under the age of 18). Often times, people let their guard down and don't realize how easy it can be for a predator to take advantage of them. Social networking sites, chat rooms, instant messenger, email, among others, are avenues that predators can use to potentially exploit, manipulate, or simply make other feel uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong, not every person on social networking sites, chats, or whatever, is a predator. Nor will every person who frequents these sites even come into contact with a predator. However, online crimes are growing rapidly. I have seen first-hand, with my work and studies, the significant volume of "bad guys" lurking on the Internet. These guys are skilled at manipulating, acting like they are "normal" and know exactly what they are doing. Sometimes they just want to "talk dirty" with a child (or other adults), sometimes they want photographs, and sometimes they want to arrange a meeting. My advice, keep your GUARD UP when you meet a stranger online. This goes to children AND adults. You never know who is really on the other end of the computer. When online, you can be whoever you want to be, and say whatever you feel. Be careful. I am not in any way knocking social networking sites. I love the Internet. I am on it day in and day out. And yes, I am one who looks at Facebook on my phone. I just want to spread the message to adults and children alike, to be SAFE on the Internet. People need to realize there are dangers, however, with the proper knowledge, you can be safe and avoid those online bad guys! And if you feel you, or someone you know, is being harassed, victimized, or if an adult is talking to a child inappropriately, please contact your local law enforcement, or report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Cyber TipLine http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2936

Da Bears

Before I kick off my blog posts, I wanted to say LETS GO BEARS! I am a huge Chicago sports fan......and always will be! So don't try to argue with me that your team is better, because you won't change my mind! :)