Internet security, Part 2

I have for some years been puzzled about all the fuss about the dangers which the Internet poses to children and young people. What is particularly interesting to me is that when I ask ordinary people what these dangers actually are, they seem unable to tell me! I am very much inclined to think that it is another aspect of the obsessive protection which so many parents today are determined to afford their children; protection which does them no favours once they are a little older. The peak age for deaths from road accidents among children and young people is eleven and twelve. The reason? These are children who have always been driven to school by their parents and not allowed out on their own to cross the road. As soon as they start secondary school and travel by themselves, they find they do not know the elementary principles of road safety. Mind you, a lot of parents now continue to take their kids to school even when they are fourteen or fifteen. No wonder such children are unable to assess hazards by themselves.

Returning to the subject of the perils of the Internet, a particular anxiety for parents seems to be that the child might reveal her personal contact details; in ordinary language, her address. This is apparently extremely dangerous. I wonder what the danger is thought to consist of? let us look at the past and see how things worked for many years, without any great harm befalling children. I have already mentioned that anybody leafing through a local paper will be able to take his pick of photographs of children and teenagers. May Queen, winner of a Duke of Edinburgh's Award, choristers, school sports days; the list is endless. It has often been the custom to describe the young person by name and road, as in; 'Gladys Jones of Church Lane won the prize for best kept garden' or something similar. A quick trip to the local library to consult the electoral register would soon tell you what number in Church Lane the Jones live at. Oh, no! Somebody has hold of the child's personal details! Still, it might be argued, this is only a local matter. With the Internet, anybody in Britain might find out a child's home address if she isn't careful. Looking through a pile of old magazines and comics from the fifties and sixties, we find that a number have sections for penpals. Children and teenagers write in and ask for others to write to them. They typically detail their hobbies and interests, sometimes send a photograph and, horror of horrors, their address is there for all to see in a nationally circulated publication!

Now I don't recall ever reading a guide to 'Penpal Security' or even 'Having Your Picture in the Local Paper Security' and I never heard of an child being abducted, raped or murdered as a result of these things. What actually is the danger of a complete stranger seeing a photograph of a teenager or child and knowing her address? Obviously, if there is a danger then it must also have existed in the fifties and sixties.

One threat which many parents worry about is that their child could be 'groomed' by a paedophile. I don't doubt for a moment that some weird adults wrote to children in the sixties and engaged them as penpals by pretending to be children themselves. I am sure that the same thing happens today, although it is unlikely to be by letter. Instant messenger or email is more likely. A child's home address in this context is quite irrelevant. The grooming adult is not likely to send the kid a letter!

What other dangers are there? Could a stranger stake out the home of a child? Well this is possible, but unlikely. If I were that way inclined and wanted to watch the house of a teenager, why would I go any further than my own neighbourhood? There are plenty of children and teenagers living round here and if I wanted to, I suppose that I could go and hide in their back gardens at night. I would hardly need to get an address from the Internet if that was what I enjoyed doing. There has never been a shortage of Peeping Toms, even before the Internet was even thought of.

What about rape and murder? The same applies really. Children are almost always raped and murdered by their friends and families; the risk from complete strangers is very small. Besides, what am I going to do? See a kid's picture on the Internet, note with pleasure that her address is there and then take a train to her home town and knock on the door? Why would I go to all that trouble when there are plenty of other kids locally?

Those adults who wish to form inappropriate relationships with and abuse children do not need to use the Internet. having an address would not really help such people. They need to build a friendship with the child, gain their trust. Such people generally get jobs as teachers, tennis coaches and swimming instructors. That way they can actually get to know the children. A random address of some child who is unknown to them would be useless.

Perhaps readers can give me a few tips here on why the addresses of children are so much more likely to bring harm to them now than was the case fifty years ago? I am genuinely intrigued by this.