Have just discovered DS (12) searching for s*x on Internet

[BellaLasagne]

Help!

Have discovered DS(12) has been searching for all sorts of things relating to s*x on the net, on our family PC which has protection set on it.

Have confronted him calmly and told him that I can find out everything that's typed into search engines (which I can), and that I've now deleted the history so I can spot check again.

He's gone very quiet. I'm feeling very mixed up. He's obviously naturally curious but I don't want anything like that on my PC.

Has anyone been through this before? DH has tried to talk to him but he's said he doesn't want to know.

He started secondary school last month so I wonder if it's 'playground' talk that's giving him ideas?

It is actually recommended that you DO keep a check on your children's computer histories and waht they are doing online. Put parental controls on, keep the computer in an open place (not bedrooms) and monitor its use. And yes - even with 16 year olds.

A 16 year old girl committed suicide at the school I taught at after accessing specific internet sites on her home computer. No one thought to check what she was using the computer for. Her history, when checked by the police, age it all away within minutes apparantly.

There are many cases where children have been groomed online for many inappropriate reasons. Encouraged to do things online or meet in real life.

It is not just for the sake of a bit of porn, but monitoring internet use IS a good thing. And so long as you are upfront about it with your children and tell them in advance that you will be doing it every so often there is no provacy issue either.

Thanks Hulababy that's what I think. It's difficult when you're trying to trust them but balancing it out with protecting them. We all have to do what we feel comfortable with I suppose!

I think perhaps my kids are older than most of the folks who are contributing to this thread. So they already have a private life that i'm not involved in. They can go out in the evening and at weekends and potentially get up to all sorts that i dont know about.
Infact i get up to all sorts that my mum doesnt know about

I think everyone on this thread sounds like very good hearted ,caring parents. You have brought your kids up with a moral compass so they do know how to be safe and responsible ,be that on the internet or anywhere else.

I really don't really see that looking through your kids histories on the pc tells you much . Surely if they think you are checking on them they will delete it anyway ?
Just because they have clicked on something doesnt mean they liked what they saw or that they were influenced by it (they could genuinely have clicked on it by mistake too)

In a nutshell , I dont trust the internet but i do trust my kids