BB FANS

would you? My heart goes out to those two girls and their families and I pray they are found safe and well. My computer is in the dining room (open plan with living room). My seven year old is NEVER on the net and I still check out what the boys are doing (15 and 17). God knows how I'd feel if I had a daughter

Oh my god Scotslass, i was only talking about this this morning, yes, i feel for their parents in all this, but i think they should have taken more care. They should never leave a young child on the Internet alone, its a very silly move to make. People still dont understand the dangers of the Internet, parents should tell their children the dos and donts and make it very clear to children that the person they are talking to, could be very dangerous. I just hope if they have been kidnapped that the sick ******* who did it is found out very quickly and put away for a very long time.

I think the issue here is often that children's knowledge of pc use outstrips that of their parents. The parents may have just thought it was very positive. "My daughter knows all about computers" and not had an inkling of the potential dangers.

Seems far fetched but I do think it is a possibility.

However. Surely these girls will have left the evidence on their pc. I doubt if they knew how to clear temp internet files, cookies or whatever. If they were visiting a message board, the admin should be able to trace who they were talking to through the ISP, shouldn't they?

Well my view is that if they let them use this technology then it's their job to understand it!



Well I hope so but Newsnight tonight wasn't very encouraging. An administrator said that they get so much traffic that they can't keep it all.

With a forum such as this it's very easy to track people down. It gets more difficult when it comes to chat rooms or imstant messaging systems such as AOL or MSN messanger, however.

Talk such as "the dangers of the internet" doesn't help. The internet is a very safe thing indeed. The potential danger is those using it. It might seem a triflingly pedantic point, but to get bogged down blaming technology when the real culprit is likely to be some sick man somewhere does not help. It doesn't address the real issues.

What is needed is a centralised education campaign taught in schools, be it personal and social eduction, IT or preferably both. This would hopefully teach children the basics to "safe surfing". Using the net is perfectly safe provided you follow a few basic guidelines such as not giving out ANY personal information or arranging to meet someone.

Unfortunetly many parents suffer from technophobia and this sort of education cannot be left in their hands alone. Children today are growing up with net culture; most adults are still adapting slowly. It's easy to say parents should supervise and so forth, but many just do not understand the culture and thus cannot properly supervise their children.

The internet, video games and music get the blame for anything that can be pushed on them. If the kids have ever useed the internet then it was the internets fault, although in the end its turned out to be one of the kids old teachers and a school Janitor...

Anyway, I think that their should be some sort of Parental Control on Kids using the net-I know that I wouldn't event think of meating someone on my own if at all, but some kids (obviously younger ones) would need to be watched (by their [parents, not interweb Perves)

Oh, and to answer the poll, I said no...

Time for something to be done about these sick ba***ar*s who prey on children.

I constantly check what mine are doing on the internet and warn them of the dangers. I think 10 is probably too young to be unsupervised, but most children have access to the net in schools so it's very difficult for parents to keep check.

I am constantly peed off regarding the lack of freedom our children have nowadays because of these shi*s, stronger sentences and much more would deter them, as they wouldn't be around to do it again.

I absolutely detest anyone who would knowingly hurt a child

You can't let your children do anything these days, not play out or go to parks, and the internet is now so dangerous.

My cousin is 12 years of age and I don't think she should have uncontrolled access to. Their should be more control how many more Gary Gliters are their?

I don't actually think stronger sentances will ever stop people like the man who is alleged to have killed Holly and Jessica.

He has an abnormal psychology, so will not react to the things that would deter you and I. The fact is, you and I do not need deterring from something this abhorrent. Whether he is bad or (conveniently) mad is a debate which will continue forever. He is not within the realms of normal, that is for sure.

It is a terrifying thing to contemplate on behalf of all our children.

I think however we need to keep a sense of perspective. I actually work with children and I can tell you that although statistically the numbers of children who are abducted has risen over the last 50 years, they are almost all associated with custody disputes. Children who are hurt or worse are almost all hurt by their own relatives.

The numbers of children abducted and harmed by strangers has barely altered at all in this period.

It is such a shame that our children have to grow up in a society of fear. I am not saying that we should be less concerned, but perhaps we should try to keep the fear in perspective.

annakournikova I enjoyed reading your post, you have made some valid and very interesting points.

The parents of poor Holly & Jessica will be blaming themselves for anything and everything and my heart (as well as millions of others) goes out to them.

I worry about the News. Generally there seems to be bombardment of bad news, illegal incidents, muggings, armed robbery etc. Once televised and printed in newspapers, it seems to set off the other unhinged excuses for humans.

Perhaps if so much publicity wasn't given to the mindless disrespect for the law and humanity then such dreadful things wouldn't escalate.
It seems to me that once one murder, atrocity, dreadful mugging or raping of a very helpless elderly lady is publicised by the media, then it never seems to be long before there is another!

More good news should be shown, with the benefits of the Internet - how it can help people etc. rather than the seedy side and potential danger.

Many parents are afraid of the Internet and don't understand it - that means that they should be ever more watchful of what their children are doing on it.

Children are excited at the prospect of chatlines etc. and they should strictly monitored. I'm all in favour of moderators and selective editing of posts etc in order to eek out the pervs and very strange people.

I read one article where a reporter posed as a young impressionable girl and manipulated information of where she lived and arranged to meet at a local supermarket! The short fat very ugly greasy haired creep was under police surveillance within days - hopefully he's been disconnected from his computer forever.

There are no second chances where your children are concerned.

No child should be allowed access to the internet alone, when I sell a PC to a family I try to hammer home how important it is and yet when I deliver the system they say "its going in my son/daughter's bedroom"

*SMACKS FOREHEAD WITH HAND*

My 14 year old sister-in-law has just proved how wrong this is, I installed a modem in her PC a year ago, it turns out her and her mates (I caught them at xmas doing this and gave them a b*****ing then) have been texting random numbers and getting email addresses and all sorts from people then arranging to meet them, we've got her mobile and she's getting messages from an 18 year old she met off the internet, we've told him shes underage and to leave her alone and now he's started threatening us!! Not that we're bothered by a child but at the end of the day he couldve been anyone....her argument he's not a 35 year old pervert but a very nice lad!!!

SHEESH!!! We've since taken away the computer and mobile phone, it's a shame she cant talk to people on the net but 1) she cant be trusted and 2) neither can they!!!!!!!

Obo it is worrying I can understand your anger with your sister in law and with those who you install computers for, I bet you must feel like you are talking to a brick wall most of the time.

I am against chat rooms for children and I also think women should be a bit more careful as well. But what I find so disappointing is that when the net first come out it offered so much promise, so many barriers could have been brought down, if it wasn't for these pervs our children could have made friends with children in India, Africa and Japan to learn of their cultures to bring the world closer together. The children would have grown up with fewer prejudices than the children that came before them and have broader view of the world. But because of evil people that live within our society this vital educations has now been destroyed and I think that is the most upsetting factor to come out of all this.