A new study shows networking sites like
Facebook and
MySpace are not especially likely to put children in danger of online predators.
Poynter's Al Tompkins writes in
Al's Morning Meeting:
The
typical online sexual predator is not someone posing as a teen to lure
unsuspecting victims into face-to-face meetings that result in violent
rapes, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Rather,
they tend to be adults who make their intentions of a sexual encounter
quite plain to vulnerable young teens who often believe they are in
love with the predator, they said.
And
contrary to the concerns of parents and state attorneys general, they
found social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace do not appear
to expose teens to greater risks.
The study gives a number of
straightforward tips about what scaremongers often say and what they
should say to be more in line with current research.
Does this new research change the opinions of administrators or parents about networking sites? What do students think?
