Sound Off: Reading Kids' Text Messages
Abducted N.C. girl was texting with sex offender before vanishing.
Photos
Is it snooping to go behind your kids and read their texts, emails and Facebook messages?
The issue is in the news again because of Abigale Faith Lefevers, the 12-year-old North Carolina girl missing since Monday. The girl had reportedly texted her alleged abductor, Timothy Howard Newman, a 38-year-old registered sex offender, for weeks before the two vanished in 1998 Chrylser sedan. The pair may have been spotted in South Carolina this week.
HERE'S THE QUESTION: Do do you monitor your child's communication? Or is it snooping to read their messages and monitor their online traffic? Is there a balance to giving your child freedom but also watching out for predators?
Share your thoughts and tips in the comments section.
Cookies Mom
12:41 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I am a parent and I believe it is good parenting, not snooping, not a privacy invasion to monitor my childrens' use of any technology. If any of my children want privacy, I am happy to invest in a good old-fashioned journal where they can record their private thoughts. I would not consider reading their diary without an extreme concern that needed to be addressed. However, tech devices like cell phones, IPads, pcs, laptops, etc. bring other individuals into the mix; it is every parent's duty to protect their child from harm when they are able to do so and to know with whom they are associating.
Kym Long-Wallace
8:05 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Kids need a certain amount of privacy so that they can learn how to handle situations on their own without always turning to a parent to solve problems for them. How much privacy depends upon the age of the child. A 12 year old definitely needs to be monitored. With an older teen, parents should pay attention to what is going on with the teen, keep the lines of communication open, and invite them to share with you by being open and non-judgemental. My guess is that the 12 year old who had been texting the sex offender had little positive parental supervision.
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12:25 am on Tuesday, October 23, 2012
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kathy
6:48 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
I'm using a new monitoring tool call www.iphonespyapps.net on my 16 year daughter's iPhone. I can see every her activity on iPhone in an online account. and it's safe now.