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All,
My 16 yr old son plays Call of Duty online. If your familier with online gaming, people belong to clans,guilds or some such and talk and play. Recently my son recieved a "gift" in through Amazon.com from a guy who it turns is 41 yrs old. I'm very concerned about the potential for internet preditors I'd hate to have shoot someone if they showed up up on my doorstep. At this point the kids internet axcess has been terminated and I contemplateing calling the cops in the town where this guy lives.
Any thoughts????
Thanks
My son is an online gamer and has been since he was a pre-teen (he'll be a college freshman in September). I am one, as well, although we generally don't play the same games. Upon reading your post, my first question is: How did this 41-year-old get the information to send the gift? Did your son provide him with an email address or (worse yet) your street address? Did he give out his real-life name or share pictures or tell where his high-school is?
Online gaming is quite safe IF you use standard, common-sense internet precautions. Don't share passwords. Ever. Not with your friends, not with your guildmates, not with anyone. Don't give out ANY personal or identifiable information. My son won't even identify in which state we live (he'll only go so far as to say what region of the country).
It makes me sad to hear you've felt it necessary to cut off your child's internet access but I can understand your concern. Keep in mind, however, that home is not the only place from which he can access. You can't cut off his friends' access. What happens when he goes to their houses? Keep in mind, too, that age 18 is not too far away and he may very well go away to college. You need spend time NOW making sure he fully understands what he can and cannot share in games (or MySpace or Facebook or whatever). YOU need to be familiar with these things, too. The more you understand, the less likely you'll react out of fear and the more likely you will be to help him learn safe online behavior.
Good luck. Parenting's tough, isn't it? Just when you think you have a handle on things, kaboom! The kidlettes throw something new at you .
According to the kid he created a wish list at amazon.com wich people can reference and then send the whatever. The "gift" he recieved was a new video game like call of duty He has assured us that he has not given out his real name or our address. The senders name and address was on the shippping slip so that how I got his information............
I play COD4 online. How does he know the guy ? Is he a clanmember, friend, random guy ? Not sure about Amazon wishlists, but I dont think they need to know the adress of the person receiving it do they ? I have received plenty of things from people online over the years.
As a mother, I would be finding this guy and calling him up....Just to let him know that you are fully aware of what is going on and you will press charges if he has any further contact with your son...
I don't care...IF a 41 year old man is sending my 16 year old gifts...he is getting a call... and I would be watching every step from that moment on...Period. I don't think that is over reacting... If I were to call the police, that maybe over reacting at this point...But to just inform the 41 year old that your are aware of the gift and you will contact the authorities if need be??? What is wrong with that??
And I would be getting rid of the 'wish list' too...
A 16yr old kid should be watched anyway so getting a gift shouldnt be the thing that makes somebody watch their kid in the first place! All I am saying is it could be an "online friend" from a Clan buying a game for somebody. I have had people buy me hardware (and younger people had too) to keep our servers up in our *Nap community so I guess thats why I am saying it may be no big deal.
All,
My 16 yr old son plays Call of Duty online. If your familier with online gaming, people belong to clans,guilds or some such and talk and play. Recently my son recieved a "gift" in through Amazon.com from a guy who it turns is 41 yrs old. I'm very concerned about the potential for internet preditors I'd hate to have shoot someone if they showed up up on my doorstep. At this point the kids internet axcess has been terminated and I contemplateing calling the cops in the town where this guy lives.
Any thoughts????
Thanks
In this day in Age there is no overreacting when it comes to your kids... Ending the gaming is a good step... but I WOULD contact the police. If, pehaps, they are legally not supposed to be contacting children they need to know what is going on. It is grossly inapproriate for a boy to be recieving a gift from a 41yr old man... something is not right and you have every right to be concerned.... Call the police.
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