Computers, cellphones, online multiplayer games, social media — how does a parent keep a child safe from potential predators they can’t see?
The Children’s Advocacy Center of McKean County’s Tonia Hartzell will present a program at the Bradford Area Public Library at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 on keeping kids safe.
“It will be safety planning, social media safety tips,” she explained. A Pennsylvania state trooper will be present to answer questions. “Sometimes people listen to people in uniform better than they do to me,” she said with a laugh.
The trooper will be there to answer questions about Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law, the website for which is operated by state police.
“There’s a lot of confusion about it,” Hartzell said. “We run into it a lot too.”
Even in setting up the presentation at the library, she found there were some misconceptions about Megan’s Law. The flyer for the program asks some of the most common questions.
“Fact or myth: Every sex offender is on the Megan’s Law website.”
Myth. Registration on the website is connected to a sentence in a criminal case, and the length of the registration is determined by the charges to which the offender is convicted, the website indicates.
“The community is notified if a sex offender moves into a neighborhood.”
Myth. Community notification is in cases of registrants determined by the court to be sexually violent predators or sexually violent delinquent children, the state police website indicates.
“Sex offenders are restricted in where they can live.”
Myth. Part of a criminal sentence might contain restrictions on living near schools or playgrounds, but those last only as long as the sentence, the website indicates.
“Registrants on Megan’s Law may include crimes against children or adults.”
Fact. The specific charge of which the registrant is convicted determines whether they will be listed on Megan’s Law, not the age of the victim, according to the website.
Hartzell said people have a hard time believing them when they explain that Megan’s Law is a registration awareness website.
“The conversations we have … ‘they shouldn’t be around my child’ or ‘they shouldn’t be at this game,’” Hartzell said. Speaking of Megan’s Law, she added, “When it’s not doing what people want it to do, they stop paying attention.”
There are a lot of things parents can do to maintain a safer environment for their children.
“Online, it’s knowing what apps they are using, what games they are playing, whether the game has the ability to chat,” she said. Red flags include if a child isn’t willing to share with a parent what is happening, or is keeping secrets. “The main thing I always tell people, the easiest safety measure is don’t give them access,” Hartzell added with a laugh.
Grooming is one of the dangers for children, and, she said, “It’s one of the most difficult things to recognize. It’s not just a manipulation tactic for the child, it’s also for the people around them.”
It’s a person who has gained trust, and the knee-jerk reaction is “they wouldn’t do that.”
That’s the importance of open conversations with a child. “Those open conversations are the only ways to stop these actions,” Hartzell said. It’s somehow taboo in our society to have those conversations with children, despite hearing them every day elsewhere.
“I’ll never feel bad speaking about this,” she continued. “None of us in the field do.”
It’s kind of a double-edged sword, encouraging hypervigilance to keep children safe, but at the same time, encouraging them to believe there are good people in the world.
Hartzell said she plans to introduce other topics that she will speak about in the coming months, like Child Abuse Awareness Month in April.
