Protecting yourself from online predators - Web chat | Technology | kgw.com

HealthWebCenter

Local experts provide the latest information on Healthcare issues that matter to you

Safety Watch

Professional Eye Care

Fresh Ideas with
Leigh Ann:

Recipes & Quick Tips

Comments

Protecting yourself from online predators - Web chat

06:41 PM PST on Thursday, February 22, 2007

Compiled by kgw.com Staff

The following is a transcript of an online chat with FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart, on protecting yourself and your family from Internet predators:


FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Since questions haven't started coming in yet, I thought I'd starting out by sharing a few tips. We recommend that every teacher and every parent watching tonight look for the link on the KGW.com web page for the Internet safety pledge. This is a perfect way for teachers and parents to bring up the issue with kids... and a great way to get some agreements on paper as to what is and is not acceptable in each family. This pledge, including other age-appropriate ones for younger kids, can also be found on the Netsmartz.org web page.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Here's some more very helpful info: The number one way parents can protect their kids is to talk to them. You have to have an open line of communication and be ready to talk about anything the kids bring up. This is a tough time for pre-teens and teens. You are their first and best line of defense if you are engaged in what they are doing, who their friends are, and what issues they may be dealing with in and out of school.

florion314: how many predators a day you guys catch on average in the state of Oregon?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: We could catch as many predators as we have people to investigate.

seniorof07: Hi, for my high school senior project I have chosen to teach elementary school students about internet safety. I was wondering if you have any suggestions of what I should teach them without being to reveiling.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: As part of this campaign, we've sent information to every high school and middle school in Oregon about the Netsmartz program. Netsmartz is operated throught the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. You can download all sorts of age-appropriate lesson plans, videos and Internet Safety Pledges. You can get to this webpage through the Predators On-Line banner on KGW.com.

Michael: What is the first step I should take if I suspect my kid is chatting with inappropriate people?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Talk to your child, find out who they are chatting with, what they are saying. If your child won't talk to you, you can take steps to review what is on the computer yourself. If you truly believe that this is a matter of concern, call your local police department or call the FBI.

halenik: Is Myspace the most popular site for predators? What sites are perticularly prone to predators surfing?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Myspace is one of the more popular sites to meet people, as such it can and is being used by predators. Be sure to watch Drew Mikkelsen's story tonight at 11 for tips on how parents can protect their children if they have Myspace accounts. Tomorrow night Drew will look at some new kinds of sites that present different kinds of dangers.

stryker19: at what age should parents let their kids go online?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: That is a decision for each family to make. The important thing is to make sure rules are established about where the computer is located, where they are going online, who they are talking to.

Michael: What is the first step I should take if my kid comes to me saying someone is talking inappropriatly to them?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Praise them for coming to you, and for feelilng comfortable enough to talk about a sensitive subject with you. Ask your child what the person is saying to them, how they met that person, and if that person has asked personal questions or for photos. Be sure to save any information sent or received by your child.

97355of4: hello Agent Jane, I am a mother of 4 how do i stop getting bad things when i chat to friends online.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: First off, we recommend that no one, adults or children, chat with anyone online, who they don't know in real life. This should cut down on the amount of inappropriate comments or pictures you may be receiving. If you have a social networking page, such as Myspace, you should always set it to private so you can control who sees your information, and who can send you information.

simplyhere: Hello, my child has a myspace and I have the password so that I can get in there and check things out. Do you think this is the best way to keep an eye on them

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: This is certainly one step that you can take. Be sure to check not only your child's page, but also their friends' pages that are linked to your child's page. Bottom line, you still need to keep the lines of communication open with your child.

Scrubby2: i think if parents really wanted to know who their kids were talking to they would ask them and sit by then when they are online. i also think that most of the time kids are looking for someone to talk to and then when thigs get to far they get scared and tell mom and dad.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Yes, this is the point that we are trying to make. Parents should sit with their children and see what they are doing online, and know that they can tell their parents when they are scared about something they see.

librarymedia: I am a Library Media Teacher, and I have used the Netsmartz and CyberSmart curricula. They are great, and I highly recommend both. But my students still feel so safe online. Do you visit schools? Do you have additional suggestions for making this real for them?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Congratulations on using Netsmartz and Cybersmart. Yes, we visit as many schools as we can fit into our schedules. Please use the stories available on the KGW webpage that Drew Mikkelsen has shown this week. In particular there was a story last night featuring a young man who thought he was safe as well, and he has a strong message for kids about what can go wrong.

tadros: My two teenagers have a myspace page. Recently, an adult relative who we have no contact with for safety reasons posed as a 15 year old girl to contact my children. Is that legal?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Anybody can pose as anyone online, that is one of the problems parents face. We recommend setting the Myspace pages to private, so you and they can control who contacts them.

97355of4: how can i tell if they are predators? what should i look for

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: First off, if a person admits to being an adult, they shouldn't be contacting children. No matter who it is, they shouldn't be asking questions that make you feel uncomfortable or are inappropriate. For example, anything having to do with their body, how they look, where they live, their phone number, etc. Best move, don't let your children go into chatrooms.

JQ2007: Hello, do you know how i can make my myspace more private?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Myspace is automatically set to private if your age is under 16. If you are over 16, go to the Account Settings, and you can change your profile to any number of privacy settings.

irish06: Does the FBI use volunteers locally in the Portland area to help detect online predators at all? After watching Dateline and the work they are doing, I would love to be involved in this? Any suggestions?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: The FBI can't use volunteers because of legal restrictions on how cases are prosecuted. However, if a parent has concerns about what their child is doing online, and inappropriate material they may have received, they should call our office. Many of the cases we take are referrals from parents.

simplyhere: If they do those FBI to Catch a Predetors Here in this Area How do I get inovled in helping with that?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Federal Prosecution rules don't allow the FBI to participate in such media stings.

librarymedia: Thank you. I know many teachers educate students about being safe online. I am also beginning to educate parents. NetSmartz has some good parent resources. No matter how much we teach our kids, nothing is a substitute for parent involvement, communication, and supervision.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Yes, I agree, thank you for your work with children. We think that Netsmartz is a valuable resource and are happy you are taking advantage of it. We encourage other parents and teachers to take advantage of it as well.

lmd: My granddaughter is 14, and she has placed some very seductive photos of herself on my.space (with the come hither look). She is basically unsupervised at home. Is there anyway I can protect her. We live in the same city, but not in the same home.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: You are in a tough position, because you don't live with your granddaughter. Someone needs to keep the lines of communication open. Advise your granddaughter that any pictures she posts on the Internet, whether Myspace or elsewhere, can be viewed, saved, manipulated, and used by anyone in the world. We tell children that if you don't want to see it on a billboard along a major interstate, don't put it online.

KC7WKN: HI, IS THERE SOFTWARE TO HELP CURB OR PROTECT YOUR CHILD,LETS SAY FROM PROFANITY OR BAD PICTURE OR CONTENT, THANKS.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: There are lots of different kinds of software out there. Some of it actually blocks certain kinds of language, or websites. Other kinds of software allow you to track every website, keystroke, image, chat and/or email that someone uses on a specific computer. I'd recommend that you check with the software experts at any of the local electronics stores. They can help you pick something that's appropriate for your family.

Greeneyez20: If your myspace Profile is set to "Private" Doesnt that mean that no Online Predators Can Get to our Children?

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: If your Myspace account is set to private, it means that a request is sent to the myspace owner, asking if you want to have this person be your friend. If you accept this person as a friend, then they will be able to talk to you. Saying that, nothing is foolproof, and if you suspect someone isn't who they say they are, or if you are concerned, eliminate them from your friend list.

Marijeanne: Hello, I work for a city police department in Oregon and register sex offenders on a daily basis. Would it be of benefit to ask for their e-mail addresses? We currently do not. Or do these people have several e-mail addresses and it would be hard to track them this way.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Predators are known to change their e-mail addresses and screen names frequently. Although it would be helpful to have this information, if they knew that they had provided this information to law enforcement, they may be more likely to change their profiles.

FBI Special Agent Jane Brillhart: Thank you everyone for chatting with me. I'm sorry I couldn't get to every question. Be sure to check out all of the links on KGW.com for the resources available... including the FBI's Parents Guide to Internet Safety and the Netsmartz Internet Safety Pledges. Thank you!