Are consoles a playground for sexual predators?
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American news site Sunsentinel has run with a very catchy story called “Xbox a sex box?”. The main theme of their article is that online gaming has become the latest way for sexual predators to get at kids. Is this an over reaction, or genuine concern?
There’s no denying it, online gaming has become the next big thing. Faster Internet speeds allow millions of people of all ages to log on every night to play their favourite games – and developers have tuned into this fact, including an online option wherever possible.
Sunsentinel were contacted by a woman named Erica McWhorter, who apparently was ‘groomed’ by a man over Xbox Live. She had the following to say;
“It was very scary. He said, are you girl? How old are you? Do you have a web cam?”
She then says he asked her;
“If I wanted to see his private parts.”
McWhorter rightly reported the man to Microsoft and he was banned. However, the Sunsentinel now think every console is a paedophiles playground. They had this to say;
“XBOX live, PlayStation 3 and even Wii have become a sexual predator’s playground.
That’s because the games are interactive, kids are matched up with players all across the country, they can talk to each other, do battle in cyberspace and make friends.
The problem; often times the players are adult posing as kids, luring children through headsets and instant messages.”
Over the top reaction? Its a tough one. We aren’t so arrogant as to completely laugh this off as nonsense, but we do feel this news been slightly ’sexed up’ (excuse the pun).
Once again it all comes down to monitoring. If a child is playing online they really should have been briefed about Internet safety – such as not giving out personal details. Parents can also set restrictions on consoles to limited what can be played.
And in all honesty, if someone asks if you want to see their private parts, that might be a bit of a hint that the person might not be that interested in a game of Buzz, and should be best avoided.
There is one humorous thing that can be taken from Sunsentinels article though. Sexual predators using the Wii? Seriously? Have they even tried to get online with a Wii? After the 30th time of entering ‘friend codes’ we are pretty sure even the most dangerous of perverts would just give up.
OK, here’s the question.
What the heck isn’t a playground, platform, medium, console that can be used by paedophiles?
I can’t help thinking sometimes that these journalists left home, went to college then got a job without ever really living in the real world or thinking for themselves.
These are the guys for whom the closest they get to reality is “World’s craziest police./criminal…”
Exactly what I was thinking, go live in a bubble Erica if you want kids to be safe keep an eye on em..
I do not think they are a playground, for those troubled kid lovers. They, apparently will go to any extreme to get what they want…e.g. Like going away to a seminary to study whatever they do there to become a priest so they can trap little boys behind the altar. Anyhow, for those that do go there, think about how easy it all is to catch them and prove it and put them away. On the lighter side catching them will be as easy as taking candy from a kid. (sorry for the intentional obnoxious pun. This topic is too serious, I have to lighten it up.
This is a tough one – particularly with games like Free Realms coming up – but it’s not as if it’s a new issue, and it’s been happening on the internet since the internet was available to the general public. The trick, as Folken rightly points out, is to make sure kids are well briefed by their parents before going online. Just like parents should tell their kids to steer clear of strangers, play it safe at parties and all of that. It is another potential area of danger for children, though, and while it’s being sexed up a bit, I think a bit of media on it isn’t a bad idea, as it’ll get the message out to parents, who’ll hopefully keep their kids a bit safer.
And Jock – I think that you make a very good point as well – impersonating a kid can be (and has been) done by paedophile hunters as well. Mmmm…”Paedophile Hunter” – Capcom could make a series out of it
Axe99. your comment blends into my last comment on the topic “Murder, Death, Kill; video games to blame?”
It’s about the environments the kids grow up in first and foremost.
particularly nowadays when our kids need to be wise to predatory games and tricks of other teens (there are young abusers out there too – kids have been groomed by paedophiles and /or who suffered abuse themselves)and adults.
As parents we need to feel comfortable enough to discuss these things.
Absolutely Turk, and I think more openness about this kind of thing, rather than demonising certain avenues (ie, games), is the way forward.
How long before we get an updated version of Charly Says…?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVPcoZ3Mxhs for those of you have no recolection of the reference
My cat is named after that.
I do hope Erica wasn’t thinking she was alone in being harassed by some nut in an online game because sadly, every girl gamer has had to put up with some idiocy like this at some point. Some of the things I’ve heard said over the comms over the years have made me literally facepalm and wonder about the male part of humanity that I occupy.
Axe’s comment is spot on though. I mean seriously, people haven’t twigged this might be a good place to do this kind of thing? Crikey, at it’s most basic level Home is just MSN with avatars and bubble machines.
At least one good thing might come out of this bonkers report- a few parents might sit up and pay attention. Heck, they might catch their 9 year old playing Modern Warfare and say, “Hang on, you shouldn’t be playing that!”
We should totally revive Charly Says. Only make Charly a sackboy.