'Kiss me, touch me, feel me, rape me' (Editorial about MySpace.com)

WorldNetDaily ^ | 2/28/06 | Rebecca Hagelin

[bray]

Where are the dads? If I found my son on that page it would be major trouble. Can't imagine if I had a daughter, or soon to be old maid?

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[weegee]

Bulletins (for those who don't know Myspace) are like the sidebar on FR. You get the name of who posted it (one of your friends, you must already have approved them in your network) and the subject heading.

If someone wants to bump along a bulletin, they must repost it themselves (sometimes they will add their oen info to it).

Here are the current 10 most recent bulletin subjects I have received:

- the number dealy survey...
- Check some spanish kickin´ ass rock in English, no worries
- Kinky Events Coming Up Soon (WAIT A MINUTE, it is the Kinky Friedman governor race profile, not a sex group)
- thusdays are for everyone!
- Thursday March 2nd Great Show Fun Times!
- worst ripped off songs
- Check out this event: Texas Independence Day Celebration
- Sex, drugs, and soft-rock
- it's about that time
- DEADLY COMPANIONS

[Elyse]

When we first got the internet I made it clear to my teenagers that no right to privacy existed in our house in regards to the internet. They weren't allowed to have a computer in their bedroom. Their father or I could walk up behind them at anytime and the computer history was not to be erased and could be viewed at anytime by one of us.

Even as careful as we were there were things we missed. I had a friend tell me to look at my daughters ICQ listing and there I found that she had listed the small town we were from, her highschool and the name of the place she worked after school.

I suggest that any of you with teenagers on the internet check your children's instant message listing and do a google on their email address. You might find some alarming things that you can correct before your child is harmed.

[weegee]

Also be aware that teenagers can be perverts too and just interested in your daughter for sex (and maybe drugs).

A good moral foundation is what is needed to make the right choices in life.

[Richard Kimball]

There's a link here from Wired with some good info on Myspace. A key paragraph is this: "In actuality, the incidents that have been publicly linked to the site are dwarfed by the overall number of such cases historically prosecuted nationwide. An August study by the National Center for Juvenile Justice estimated there were about 15,700 statutory rapes reported to law enforcement agencies in the United States in 2000, based on an analysis of data collected by the FBI. That amounts to 43 cases per day. In fact, with a reported population of 57 million users, MySpace is arguably safer from such crime than other communities that haven't been the subject of the same scrutiny. One example: California, which averaged 62 statutory rape convictions per month in the late 90s, in a state population of 33 million." Pedophiles are going to go where there are young people. They're also going to disguise themselves to blend into the surroundings. We had a case of an adult man who got caught fondling a three year old in a closet at a birthday party at a Baptist Church recently. The solution isn't to stop children from going to parties at Baptist Churches. You need to know where your children are and what they're doing. The problem isn't MySpace. Anyplace a bunch of kids get together, the wolves will move in. We need to nail the wolves.

[wagglebee]

Anyplace a bunch of kids get together, the wolves will move in. We need to nail the wolves.

Agreed.

[weegee]

Some people think Myspace is a popularity contest (and that was one of the things that "sank" Friendster's reputation early on).

When people transferred to Myspace, some used more discretion in adding people they "knew". Even now, some people realize that over 200 people (or just the wrong dozen) means that you will get so many bulletins that you will miss information that you actually want to see (literally I dropped someone who was posting things like "Heading home from work now". I didn't need that much information and didn't care at all). Some prune down their "friends" list now and then.

It's like television. You may have 300 channels but you spend most of your time with about 6 channels.

[BurbankKarl]

this was her aunt....she didnt really talk to me further about it...I imagine she was.

[weegee]

Well the problem in part is myspace because the website existed before the kids were a part of the user base.

The general content has always had a mature tilt.

And when you consider the rule of "6 degrees of separation", anything you post in a bulletin could conceivably be passed along to a friend of a friend of a friend who may be a minor.

But Hollywood has been embracing "extreme teens" for years now (with shows like Rikki Lake and Jerry Springer and films like Kids and Thirteen). Sex and drugs among the jr. high and high school crowd. They want to brag that they've seen it all done it all by the time they enter college.

[sit-rep]

Hold on... If a boy of 14 can be tried as an adult for going on a rampage with a gun???...we know the argument! Why is a girl of 14, not smart enough to stay away from this kind of danger?

[twigs]

I couldn't agree more!

[twigs]

This thread got me curious, so I "visited" my daughter's website tonight. I had never heard of My Space Republican before until you mentioned it and I discovered that my daughter had it listed as one of her groups!

[television is just wrong]

I am a parent. I have been associated with many students and I am quite literally shocked at the number of them I know from the school that are listed on myspace.com

[little jeremiah]

Parents need to know every single thing their kids do on the internet.

I'm for censorship as well.

And so much for the "catch and release" program for sexual predators.

[stlnative]

So you think it is ok for parents to allow their kids to post personal info on myspace? (like last names - phone numbers - city,state and zip that they live in - the school they go to - etc)

Some parents choose to ignore what their children have on myspace, I know this first hand because I have relative that is turning the other cheek to what her child has on her myspace page.

You don't see the danger in that? You don't see how some pervert can and will start using myspace to pick out his next victim or victims?

[TheSpottedOwl]

Just this evening, cBS had an exclusive of a 50 yr man in Ventura being arrested in an early morning raid. He bragged online about sexual activity with young girls. Of course guess where he posted, besides Yahell? Myspace.com. He was married, a valued employee, beautiful home, but led a secret life. They showed his wife in the garage with a sweater over her head. She didn't have a clue.

Let me tell you something about that site. It is poorly policed. My bf's 11 yr old son has a profile up, with rude comments. This is his mother's doing. The middle daughter now lives with her aunt who removed her profile immediately upon gaining custody. She's 13. The oldest is 17 and brainwashed into thinking it's all in good fun. Bf doesn't have much legal influence...yet. I don't want to jinx anything.

People have said that myspace.com has a right to exist, and that it is the fault of parents for not paying attention. I don't know about that. Kids are sneaky.

[bmwcyle]

You don't call me anymore.

[Sloth]

Why are you blaming one particular application of one particular technology, instead of the stupid people using it? Might as well blame the printing press for Hustler magazine.

[DirtyHarryY2K]

From what I hear, kids all over this country are on myspace.com.

You'd be suprised how many you know.. Log on and enter your zipcode in the search bar. The church groups at our local churches monitor their site and report some teens to their parents. A lot of the young girls post their personal info phone #s and addresses. Not very smart.

[sit-rep]

television is just wrong, see a couple posts up, the discourse between florida red and myself. this coincides with your comment...

Let me rephrase slightly...

It is one thing to talk nasty, tease, what ever, in a chat room. but the line that is crossed, and I personally blame the youth at this point, when they cross that line and arrange a meet, and follow through. This is where a young adult should know right from wrong. the trouble is, they are weak, and need the acceptance they are getting from this "Mystery Person".

This is the time when parents could possibly help, but this particular need of attention is already molded into the kid at this age. A parents counseling at this point is at times worthless to a child needed this outside attention. The fix for this problem by parents, needed to be done 5 to 10 years ago... But, IMO, it is too late to change some, if not all.

I think these kids are normal who tease and flirt and talk nasty. Kids do this. That eccentric, are the ones who are arranging rendezvous. These are the one who a percentage there of, wind up dead