Chat Rooms - Are They Safe?

Written by Calgary's Child

I play soccer too. I'm number 12. What's your number?"

A seemingly harmless question, but if it's for your 11-year-old daughter in an Internet chat room, it may not be as harmless as you'd think.

"They'll tell them what school they go to, what team they play on, what position they play in soccer, what their number is, what they look like — so everything but their name," says Calgary Police Service Detective Butch Dicken.

And with all of that information, an Internet prowler could track down a child.

The best way to keep your kids safe is through education, communication and developing an atmosphere of trust, says Detective Dicken, an officer with the Vice Unit who has monitored Internet chat rooms for several years in a battle against the exploitation of children.

While he says every parent should be concerned, pulling the plug on the Internet at home isn't the solution. But parents must be vigilant, particularly when it comes to chat rooms and the newest craze — instant messaging.

Even the private chat rooms, such as MSN chat rooms that require a password to enter, are only secure as long as none of the members spread the password around.

"The kids have to set up a secrecy policy. As soon as they establish contact with someone they think is their buddy, they are going to tell him how to get there. It's only secure if they don't tell anybody," Detective Dicken explains.

Over the last several years, Dicken has created 10 different personas that he regularly uses when monitoring chat rooms. It's difficult to collect statistics on how often adults posing as children chat with kids on line. And because there is no criminal charge in Canada prohibiting this activity, police are often unable to do much beyond monitoring chat rooms and offering tips for safe surfing.

"We are never going to be able to censor the Internet. So the only thing we can do to make it safer is to educate everybody about it."

Detective Dicken urges parents to encourage children to tell them if they receive any inappropriate messages in a chat room or e-mails and reward them for telling. Don't punish them by taking away access to the Internet.

If your child does receive inappropriate contact from anyone on the Internet, first report it to your service provider. Most have an abuse line to call to report these types of incidents. Second, report it to the Calgary Police Service by calling 266-1234.

For more information on the safe use of the Internet, visit the Calgary Police Service Web site at www.calgarypolice.ca and follow the links to crime prevention or the Kids & Teens Zones.