I think the larger picture here is the absence of "good" parenting. True caring parents would be aware of any conversations their children have on the internet and intercept it before they had a chance to even try and meet. No my son will not meet people he does not know on the internet, period.
In todays world their is a majority or parents who just dont care, now I know this is a tough concept because everything I have read from people here seem like they have a good handle on their kids. BUT alot of people out there dont spend the time.
I have spent alot of time working in middle to high end homes, doing painting and window fashions as a side job to help out family. All I see is detached parents with nannies that are watching their children and I mean up to 15 yrs old, just to make sure they dont blow something up.
But that doesnt stop them from using the internet to do what they please, becuase they all have tvs, radios, cd players, dvd players, computers, and laptops in their rooms.
Now if your an adult and meet someone than thats your right and I wont impose on it, but as a child meeting someone, that responsibility lays solely with the parents and their failure to do whats right.
This subject is frustrating to me because I feel like so many kids could be spared a life of terrible things if they just had parents who cared, paid attention, and said NO instead of giving in to their kids.
Kids are kids and will try things that they think is ok, but for cryin out loud, the parents should be jailed and the kids put somewhere where they will be protected.