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Thu, February 9, 2012
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Parents Need to Be Wary Of Facebook’s Dangers
Nurfika Osman | February 09, 2010

Parents must weigh privacy and safety concerns in monitoring their children Parents must weigh privacy and safety concerns in monitoring their children's use of social networking sites. (JG Photo/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)
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6:45am Feb 9, 2010

Wait, this is not rape? So I heard, she ran away after her mum smacked her for talking to a boy on FB? I know that's dangerous but smacking her for talking to a boy? And they wonder why she ran away?

Parenting FAIL to me.

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A spate of crimes targeting Indonesian teenagers using social networking site Facebook has raised questions about whether parents should monitor their children’s online activities, even going as far as gaining access to their teenagers’ Facebook accounts.

Youngsters’ online safety has come into focus following two recent incidents involving teenage girls in Indonesia. Marietta Nova Triani, 14, from Surabaya, visited her uncle’s home in Bumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang, for a wedding party on Friday. A day later, she went missing from his home.

“We tracked down the password of her Facebook account. We found she had intense communication with Ari, a 16-year-old boy, who asked her to come along with him. She agreed. We have no idea who he is and whether or not he is a boyfriend,” Heri Kristanto, Nova’s father, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.

Late on Monday night, police sources said they found Nova with “her boyfriend” Ari.

Though she was apparently in no real danger, another recent incident highlights the risks. Police in East Java recently arrested two men for recruiting at least 20 girls, some aged as young as 15, through Facebook, and then posting pictures and profiles of them on their Facebook accounts to arrange “hook-ups” with older men.

Surabaya Police have managed to contact the parents of five of the 20 girls, all of whom were reportedly were devastated. None of the girls in the prostitution ring were poor, but had been lured in by promises of luxury goods.

Seto Mulyadi, the chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection, known as Komnas Anak, told the Jakarta Globe that Facebook was the most popular medium and could be a source for cyber crime.

“But it is based on the users of the technology. Communication between parents and children is the most important thing to avoid such things,” Seto said.

He also said children did not need Facebook and cellphones.

“They are supposed to have better communication with their parents instead of their friends on Facebook,” he said. “The children are running from their parents as they are not listened so they are stressed out. Parents should not be authoritative in dealing with teenagers as they need friends to talk to and share with.”

Masruchah, from the National Commission on Violence Against Women, said that while parents should monitor their teenagers’ activities, particularly if they were causing concern, they had no right to access their Facebook accounts.

“Even teenagers have rights. We just have to be careful in using this social network and I hope the teachers can also guide teenagers in regard to the advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook. Parents should give guidance to their children so they will not turn to Facebook or any other social network to express their feelings or needs,” Masruchah said.