People can be forgiven for believing that children are in more danger of being murdered or abducted now because of the huge amount of media coverage these cases are given. The first publicised case was the Myra Hindly case, which shocked the nation to such an extent that she became demonised. Until it was brought to light no one had heard of crimes such as that but that didn't mean they didn't exist. Today newspapers are so concerned with creating fear and hysteria among the public to ensure selling more papers that they risk terrifying many parents. In the last two years we have heard of so many abduction and murder cases. Sarah Payne, Amanda Dowler, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman are just a few of the most recent cases. Because the media has the ability to reach so many people as quickly the police take the chance to publicise the case and for parents of the child to make, often, emotional pleas for help. I believe this shows there are less murders and abduction

One of the newest dangers that children, particularly teenagers, face is the Internet. While very useful for many things it unfortunately forms a link between paedophiles and vulnerable children. Paedophiles begin talking to children in chat rooms on the Internet and pretend to be a different person completely. The unaware child gains trust in this person over a period of time and are sometimes persuaded to meet up with them. This is where the problem occurs. Children meet up with these people on their own without notifying their parents or friends and are then is some cases harmed.

Even though many people, when they hear the word "chat room", automatically associate it with being untrustworthy and a danger not all chat rooms are like that and many go to great lengths to protect the people using them. This includes blanking out phone numbers and other personal details. It also depends on the child. Many children, including myself, would never dream of meeting up with someone they knew nothing about without taking someone with them. Although the media make such a big deal and give the impression that the "grooming" of children is common practise in a chat room, I have yet to hear that any of my friends have experienced this or have been persuaded to meet up with someone myself. Chat r

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jessica Chapman, , Myra Hindly, 100 ago, children danger, danger 100 ago, road crossing skills, children danger 100, persuaded meet, due advances, crossing skills, danger 100, road crossing,
Approximate Word count = 871
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)