To think it's time for parents to take responsibility for their own kids' online behaviour

[Fragmentedbrain]

Instead of making VPNs more restricted in the UK than they are in China, how about criminalising parents who let their kids look at adult websites? Hm?

As far as I'm concerned it's your responsibility to protect your children. I read a news story a while ago about an 11 year old who was sexually groomed online and eventually molested and at no point did her mum take away her phone.

I don't think it's just about parents who 'let' their kids view adult websites.

It's probably more to protect those who don't, but who can't be with their child 24/7, especially when they're old enough to have their own phone.

So it is the mother’s fault her child was groomed by a pedophile online without her knowledge? So how many years in prison should the mother get for assisting a child rapist?

Do you often blame women for not adequately protecting themselves or their children from the crimes of men rather than the man doing the crimes himself?

What about the pedophile’s mother? Isn’t it also her fault for raising him?

It’s not just phones, these sex offenders can groom children through a PlayStation or the web browser on a TV.

Her mother knew her child was being groomed. Her child told her and her mother called the police. Social services were also involved.

At no point did her mother take away her phone.

You don't think parent's should check what their children are doing online?

OP, the “it’s for the kids” is not really why the Gov want to restrict VPNs in the UK. It is because VPNs (and other tools ie blockers for cookies) give regular people a level of privacy the snooper charter doesn’t want us all to have.

the online safety bill is really an online surveillance bill.

If you think you can 100% catch a groomer by looking at your DC’s phone now and again you are incredibly ill prepared and also breath-takingly judgemental of a mother who 1) believed her child when her child mentioned something dodgy and 2) immediately called the police.

Again, how is it her fault to the point she should be convicted of a crime that a predator groomed her child when as soon as she was aware she did everything you’d expect of a responsible parent?

You shouldn't look at your child's phone 'now and again', you should know exactly what your child is doing online because the Internet is a dangerous place.

You know absolutely nothing about the case but it seems to have triggered you. The mother contacted the police because her daughter was giving men her address and they were threatening to come over.

Since her mother didn't take away her phone or check it, her daughter continued to send pictures to strangers. She also sent pictures to boys at school.

Social services were involved and the girl continued to talk to those men until she eventually met them in a local park and was molested at the age of 12.

I understand that you sympathise with her mother who didn't take away her phone. Perhaps you have an 11 year old with unfettered access to extreme content and predators - who knows?

Well since you are drip feeding ‘the case’ with zero reference to the name of the case or date, then I have no choice but to go off the little crumbs you give.

Honestly, checking everywhere all your DC go online and reading all their emails and messages would be a full time job. There are not enough hours in the day, especially when you consider it isn’t just phones.

Yes the internet is dangerous, so is the outside world and even the home. You can’t protect against all things all the time.

My DC are adults in early 20s, perhaps you are talking about a stage you haven’t gotten to yet, and don’t understand that DC aren’t always groomed due to the criminal negligence of their mother (you don’t even mention the fathers..wonder why?)

Because the girl lived with her mother. I told you that you didn't know the case and were jumping into something you know nothing about. Don't assume what other people know or don't know.

No, you can't keep tabs on what you're children are doing 24/7. However, you can make sure your children aren't consuming hard core porn or sending nudes to their classmates and sexual predators

It's up to you as a parent to keep your children safe and learn about technology in order to do that.

Or her dad, I assume

He wasn't around.

Great. Although I do heartily agree that parents are responsible, let’s just remember that 50% of that safeguard completely bailed
so they are more culpable in my eyes

It is parents responsibility to protect children, and yes a parent should be charged if they allow a child to be harmed by a new partner/step parent in person or a stranger online

Maybe if parents were charged they may think more carefully about who they allow contact with their child

Too many parents are willing to absolve responsibility for their childs wellbeing to "the government" and this will only get worse with this new bill. Where are children getting their phones and devices? From their parents. So it is the parents responsibility to monitor what they are doing on them.

When I was still teaching, a 13 yr old pupil disclosed that she and her friend were getting worrying messages from an "11 yr old" who was clearly an adult male.

I called our Child Protection Officer. He contacted the police.

One of the mothers refused to allow the police to take her daughter's phone: "I'm paying a contract for that!"

Maybe we also have to protect the children of negligent and/or stupid parents