throw away the key

[Ms.Matrix]

Absolutely as parents that is our 'job' to protect our youngsters - but the media is frightening us so much - we simply worry so much.

I am trying to relax around my son (see me walking alongside a road with him - Im at my wits end - its not healthy lol)

I would give anything to allow him to have the same 'freedom' I had.

I know...but the sad fact is that we don't live in the same world that we did 15 or 20 years ago...sad, our children have to grow up so quickly nowdays

 

[pazzy]

I know...but the sad fact is that we don't live in the same world that we did 15 or 20 years ago...sad, our children have to grow up so quickly nowdays

But is it so different?

15 or 20 years ago - there was paedophiles we just didnt know who they were or what they were called? They may not have the internet - but there were other ways - think your classic funny phonecalls - who hasnt had some perv phoning us kids up asking to do surveys? I had a man pretend to be one of my teachers - trying to get in touch with someone from my class - even my mum fell for it - he asked to speak to me to help and then asked what I looked like cos he couldnt remember - and then it got sinister.

There was those chain letters - how do we know if they were really kids sending them?
And cb's I have already mentioned.

Paedophiles were probably even talking to us as kids but we just saw them as a friendly person - cos thats what they do - they dont just pounce - they wait, they groom they gain your trust - in person - or on the net or wherever.


The only difference then and now is we are so much more aware - we look back at our times as kids and think 'crikey - remember that bloke who was... or remember that time when...' only now does it make you realise how more vunerable we were then much more than today

Kids were snatched even then - I remember it well - Susan Maxwell and Caroline Hogg was all over the news - that man was on the loose for ages - but it didnt make my parents stop me going anywhere - it just made us more cautious.

As other things we still had bully's, kids with knives, gangs, thieves, glue sniffers, murderers, riots, IRA bombings - the 70's was probably the toughest times for kids than any other time - but we were still free - we just didnt watch the news like we do today.

Perhaps the big difference is that the kids are more in danger of the roads than ever before - familys only ever had 1 car - look at it now.

 

[naturalnails]

I have taken the decision to close this thread now. I know it was a well meaning post in the first instance but please think of the implications of this discussion:

1. If saddos are searching for paedophiles do we really want the Salon Geek to come up in their search results?

2. What sort of Google adds might this bring to our forum?

3. If some of our lovely geeks have suffered at the hands of people like this, how will they now be feeling with this being discussed on here.

I am with you guys on this - these people should be hung, drawn and quartered but maybe this is not the forum for these discussions.

I hope you understand.