Parents urged to protect children from online ‘porn-filled hate dungeon’
Being the victim of internet trolls is now British kids’ biggest online fear, a study found.
The survey of more than 24,000 youngsters found that a third have come into contact with something that worries or upsets them online.
Being bullied – or trolled – is the aspect most children would want to change about the internet.
The ‘Trollface’ logo is used by internet trolls to denote mocking, bullying or harassing someone
The study was commissioned for the annual Safer Internet Day, which raises awareness of online issues and aims to make the internet a safer place.
Researchers reckon the results indicate that better regulation and ‘safe zones’ are necessary to protect our children online.
Internet usage is increasing all the time, and an estimated 86 per cent of seven to 19-year-olds use sites like Facebook and Twitter, and programs like Skype, to keep in touch with pals.
But cruel comments and gossip was the major reason cited why children would not enjoy their time online, with more than 40 per cent of kids saying they had been the subject of upsetting comments or gossip.
Tributes flooded in worldwide for tragic 15-year-old Canadian Amanda Todd, who killed herself after being bullied online.
A screengrab from the video tragic Amanda posted online, just weeks before her suicide
The pretty teen took her own life after being coerced into exposing her breasts during a webcam chat, which were then used by sick trolls to blackmail her into doing more things.
Tragic Amanda uploaded a video to YouTube describing years of bullying that she said drove her to drugs and alcohol.
Tom McLenachan, 28, was both an internet troll and a victim of cyberbullying when he was a teen.
The linguist, from Bolton, Lancs., said: “After school, we all used to go online and chat with each other.
“If there was someone I didn’t like, or they did something stupid at school that day, I’d post hurtful messages on their MySpace page or send them mean messages on MSN.
“People used to do it to me too, so I thought it was only fair to pass on the hurt and pain I felt.”
He added: “I’m glad a charity is working to make the internet a safer place for children.
“It’s one of mankind’s greatest faucets of information – it doesn’t need to be just a porn-filled hate dungeon.
“Children need to be protected online.”
Posting hurtful comments on the internet has led to several arrests and even prison sentences.
During the 2012 Olympics, vile thug Reese Messer, then 17, was arrested and cautioned for writing hateful tweets directed at Team GB star Tom Daley.
He told the diver: “You have let your dad down.
“I’m going to drown you in the pool you cocky t*** your a nobody.”
Evil – sick web troll Reese Messer
Combating cyber-bullying is key to young people feeling safer online, but the report also calls for them to be protected from adult-only content.
There are Government plans to force internet providers to block access to pornographic content, and allow users to opt-in – similar to how mobile phone operators like EE and Vodafone charge a refundable #1 to unlock adult websites on mobile networks.
Edward Timpson, Minister for Children and Families said: “We know how important it is that young people are safe and supported while using the internet, and that parents are confident their children are protected from accessing harmful content.
“We have already taken great strides to make internet access more family friendly and we will continue to work with the industry, parents and young people to build an even safer internet in the future.”
Will Gardner, Chief Spokesperson for the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: “In our research young people clearly stated that they should have the right to feel safe online and they also recognise they have a responsibility in helping themselves and others be safe online, whether that’s behaving kindly towards others or helping friends who are experiencing problems.”
Category: Tech
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Why is it that twenty years ago that stories of wide spread sex abuse of children were not seen? Was it due to under reporting? No, it was due to the absence of the internet, more specifically internet porn.
Paedophilia has alway been around but not in epidemic proportion. We all know that we each have character flaws that can be fanned into flame in the right circumstance. The man with a predisposition to alcoholism won’t have a problem unless he is exposed to drinking. The same goes for those who have a perverse desire for sex with children or even babies.
The internet has been exposing young kids and men to sexual sites and sounds that they never could have imagined in regular life and the behaviors being triggered are terrifying and real. Child sex, rape, even killing and sex are all available at a click. If somehow we could be isolated from these while still enjoying the benefits of the internet it would be ideal. That our teenage boys not be titilated by bondage and on and on.
There is a solution which is modern internet filtering. Modern filtering is precise, fast and effective. It can keep our kids safe from the web but it can also help adult men like myself to break out of the internet porn cycles that are already eating us up, ruining our marriages and often destroying us completely. one such filter is http://www.wisechoice.net which can be configured to not have an override password if desired.
Internet porn is the fastest growing cause of divorce and one of the only things worse than exposing your kids to internet sex is to break up the family. I should know, I very nearly lost my marriage due to this very thing but I am still married to tell the tale.
I could not quit going to the porn sites. One exposure to internet porn lit a fire in me that would not go out. I would spend hours on the web, stay late at work, get up after my wife had gone to bed. I sought counseling, made deals with God, all to no avail. I knew trouble was coming and I was powerless to get out of the way. That is when a friend told me about filtering.
All I knew about filters was that they were slow and would block all kinds of things. Things like blocking “chicken breast” because of the word breast! No good! But it turns out that filtering has advanced just like the rest of the web. No longer does it rely on bad words but rather on enormous data bases of known and categorized sites. You can filter sex sites or shopping or gambling or even sports…it’s your issue and therefore your choice.
Talking about my problems with internet porn was useless, but putting a wall between me and the garbage has been a revelation and a marriage savior. My advice is check it out and do it now