Our View: Parenting comes first

Home Archived Opinion Our View: Parenting comes first

Published: October 11, 2006

As many know, a former Corsair staffer was convicted for viewing child pornography.  Many of the Corsair employees are parents as well as students, and this event definitely shook up the office morale.

The job of parenting is one that comes first and foremost in the lives of many PJC students and staff.

The idea that there are people out there who are addicted to child pornography is nauseating.  The sad part is that some of these individuals feel like they should be accepted for the urges that they “can not control.”

There are online networks where pedophiles congregate and support one another.  This is obviously one of the draw backs of free speech and online anonymity.

Computers seem to provide so many opportunities for pedophiles to prey on our children.  They do this by trading obscene photos, cruising chat rooms, stalking kids via MySpace, and atempting to reach children “on the outside” once an online connection has been made.

Children and teens are enticed, brainwashed, and even threatened to silence them when abuse and sexual advances are being made.

The fact remains that parents need to start talking about what types of behavior are inappropriate with their children when they are young.  Instead of waiting for them to become interested in the opposite sex, the times call for a more proactive approach.

This can include something like explaining to your four year-old that no one besides [you fill in the appropriate individuals] should be touching anything covered by a bathing suit.

And communication is so important!  Keeping the lines of communication open will help ensure that your child will speak up if abuse ever occurs.