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'Sextortion' a parent's worst nightmareTAHLEQUAH, Sep 09, 2010 (Tahlequah Daily Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Just a few short years ago, about the worst trouble a group of teens could cause by using a telephone was making prank calls. Today, teens themselves have become the subject of predators stalking youth to gain a profit through electronic media. According to a recent report by the Associated Press, federal prosecutors and other experts say they're seeing an upswing in online sexual extortion. It starts simply enough: A teen yields to an online request to flash her breasts at a web cam, or posts an inappropriate photo on a social networking site presuming only her "friends" will see it. The next thing she knows, she's getting threatening e-mails or posts from a stranger, saying he's captured the image, and unless she poses for even more explicit photos, he'll post the existing embarrassing images for all to see. The term coined for this brand of blackmail is called "sextortion," and teens in at least a dozen states have been recently affected. In Alabama, Jonathan Vance, 24, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he admitted sending threatening e-mails on Facebook and MySpace extorting nude photos from more than 50 young women in Alabama, Pennsylvania and Missouri, according to the AP. A 31-year-old California man was arrested in June after allegedly hacking into more than 200 computers and threatened to expose nude photos. Authorities say 44 of the victims were juveniles, and the man even managed to remotely activate some victims' webcams without their knowledge. Local resident Nancy Garber, whose husband, Dan, is a former Cherokee County undersheriff, said in the age of electronic media, privacy is no longer an option. "Privacy on the Internet doesn't exist," said Garber. "Once e-mail became a part of our everyday lives, we gave up any reasonable expectation that correspondence, both words and images, are just between the sender and recipients. Garber, who recently retired as public relations director for NSU, has her own litmus test for electronic communication, whether it's business or personal. "My rule of thumb is unless you can defend it, wouldn't mind your mother or boss seeing it, and know you can't be sued for publishing it, don't push send," said Garber. Help-In-Crisis Volunteer Coordinator Keri Ross has a high school-age daughter, and she believes it's important to monitor her exchanges on Facebook. "I understand they want to use the latest technology, and I'm not opposed to it, but I do believe it's important to be aware of what your child is doing," said Ross. Garber agreed, saying the expansion of social media has captivated people of all ages, and has also created a level of peer pressure that didn't exist a decade ago. "It's easy to breeze past the tremendous responsibility attached to using a communication tool that literally links you to the world," said Garber. "When our daughter was in junior high, we could situate the home computer in a central location and keep tabs on what she was doing online. Today, there is no way to monitor all the different ways kids can post information about themselves." NSU staffer Olga Trammel's daughter is in her 20s, but still has to be reminded from time to time about Internet safety. "My daughter 'chats' all the time, and we have gone over the rules of online communication several times," said Trammel. "Even though she's in her 20s, I constantly remind her and send her articles about young women who were killed after meeting up with these people or sending personal information to them. It's not a good idea to even list your town, much less any other information to anyone on the Internet." The recent rash of cases have prompted law enforcement officials and advocates to warn teens about online activities. One nude photo sent to a girlfriend or boyfriend can easily be circulated through cell phone contacts and wind up on open-access websites and then captured and traced back to the subject by someone looking to cause harm. Parry Aftab, and attorney and child advocate, told the AP that everyone is black mailable, and that "you will do anything to keep those pictures from getting out." Garber believes strong lines of communication between adults and kids is the only way to help remedy the problem. "Since the genie isn't going back in the bottle, parents and teachers must help kids understand that everything they post, both text and words, becomes part of the story of their lives, and can expose them to a variety of unintended consequences." GET INVOLVED The American Academy of Pediatrics believes it's imperative that parents talk with their children of all ages about social media and monitor their online SM use to help them navigate the online world. The AAP offers parents the following tips to get started: --Learn about these technologies first hand. There is simply no better way than to have a profile yourself. It will also enable you to "friend" your kids and monitor them on line. --Let them know that their use of technology is something you want and need to know about. --Talk with other parents about what their kids of similar ages are using for SM. Ask your kids about those technologies as a starting point for discussion. If they are in the same peer group, there is a good chance they are all using the same platforms together. --For all ages, emphasize that everything sent over the Internet or a cell phone can be shared with the entire world, so it is important they use good judgment in sending messages and pictures and set privacy settings on social media sites appropriately. --Be sure you are where your kids are online: IM, Facebook, MySpace, etc. Have a policy requiring that you and your child "friend" each other. This is one way of showing your child you are there, too, and will provide a check and balance system by having an adult within arm's reach of their profile. This is important for kids of all ages, including teens. --Show your kids you know how to use what they are using, and are willing to learn what you may not know how to do. --Create a strategy for monitoring your kids' online SM use, and be sure you follow through. Some families may check once a week and others more sporadically. You may want to say "Today I'll be checking your computer and cell phone." The older your kids are, the more often you may need to check. --Consider formal monitoring systems to track your child's e-mail, chat, IM and image content. Parental controls on your computer or from your Internet service provider, Google Desktop or commercial programs are all reasonable alternatives. Source: The American Association of Pediatrics To see more of the Tahlequah Daily Press or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544). |