We’ve reached a point in history where many teenagers and young adults either haven’t known life without access to the internet at home, or were too young to remember any different.
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News, today, of an incident where Maitland teenagers were approached online by a man who asked them to send him illicit pictures is a stark reminder of the need to be vigilant with online safety and to report grubby behaviour.
It’s a credit to the young students that they knew how to handle the situation, and spoke to a teacher – who then brought their parents into the conversation.
Obviously, incidents like this are appalling to the highest degree and should not happen, but they do.
Despite the fact that police have the resources to track down online predators using IP addresses and other technological tools, many of these offenders have the ability and skills to get around the law.
It’s believed the man who contacted the Maitland teenagers had logged on from somewhere in the United States – that’s what law enforcement agencies are up against.
When told about the incident by Fairfax Media, Central Hunter crime manager Detective Inspector Mitch Dubojski responded by urging people to report any online predators they come across.
That means calling Maitland police or dropping into Maitland Police Station to file a report.
Only then, Inspector Dubojski said, can detectives get to work with the resources they have at hand.
Maitland High School principal Paula Graham said the school took a pro-active approach to student safety online, and said it was positive that one of the students felt comfortable enough to raise the issue with a teacher.
The school should be applauded for the way its staff handled the situation last week, as should the parents of the teenagers – who have clearly raised young adults who understand the importance of safety online.
The teenagers who were victims of the approach also deserve praise for speaking up.
The incident shows the importance of teaching young people what to do if they are ever approached by an online predator. That way, there’s less chance of them becoming victims of a horrible crime and police have a better chance at coming down on the vile offenders with the full force of the law.
