The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - When You Are Oppressed, Or Ten Weighty Reasons for Teenagers and Their Parents

Mithalwen · 09-01-2004, 11:45 AM

A lot of it is to do with the fact that most people are unable to evaluate risk accurately. I mean there is a perception that the big wide world is an especially dangerous place for women and children to venture into alone but in fact, the majority children who are murdered or abused are victims of their own parents, women are usually the victim of their husbands/boyfriend. The people most likely to be murdered by strangers are young men.

And if parents think that the Downs is really a problem ..they really have a strange worldview... I mean ... my brain has been more stretched here that it has anywhere since leaving uni...and perhaps in some respects more than at uni!. And to be exposed to what can be post-grad level discussion at schoolage ...surely can only be positive.... or maybe parents get suspicious because it seems impossible that teenagers could ENJOY learning....

That said..there are some very odd people out there .... on a rare visit to an (innocuous) chat room it took all of 3 seconds to encounter a sleazoid creep...

But, I sometimes get the feeling that there is a disproportionate fear because it was the internet - A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to travel to Australia and NZ. Now, I had been talking to someone on a tennis site for 3 years and she lived near my family in Melbourne so we arranged to meet (in a bar, in the afternoon)..... and even though I am big enough, old enough and ugly enough to take care of my self - my Aussie family were completely paranoid ......"You mean you don't know her surname, or address.....blah blah blah".( Iand that was just meeting another girl of the same age).. but when I was solo travelling in NZ I would go for meals with other lone travellers who just happened to be travelling on the same bus / staying at the same hostel judging merely on appearance....
This didn't give the Aussie rellies the vapours at all......

Actually the priniciples for lone travelling (which was what I did to worry my parents before the internet was widespread lol ) could be apply just as well to the net ..... Be prepared, aware of the potential dangers, don't stray in to areas you know to be dangerous and prepare strategies to get out of dangerous situations you may fall into by chance. And then having minimised the risks enjoy the journey!!

09-01-2004, 11:45 AM	#42
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	A lot of it is to do with the fact that most people are unable to evaluate risk accurately. I mean there is a perception that the big wide world is an especially dangerous place for women and children to venture into alone but in fact, the majority children who are murdered or abused are victims of their own parents, women are usually the victim of their husbands/boyfriend. The people most likely to be murdered by strangers are young men. And if parents think that the Downs is really a problem ..they really have a strange worldview... I mean ... my brain has been more stretched here that it has anywhere since leaving uni...and perhaps in some respects more than at uni!. And to be exposed to what can be post-grad level discussion at schoolage ...surely can only be positive.... or maybe parents get suspicious because it seems impossible that teenagers could ENJOY learning.... That said..there are some very odd people out there .... on a rare visit to an (innocuous) chat room it took all of 3 seconds to encounter a sleazoid creep... But, I sometimes get the feeling that there is a disproportionate fear because it was the internet - A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to travel to Australia and NZ. Now, I had been talking to someone on a tennis site for 3 years and she lived near my family in Melbourne so we arranged to meet (in a bar, in the afternoon)..... and even though I am big enough, old enough and ugly enough to take care of my self - my Aussie family were completely paranoid ......"You mean you don't know her surname, or address.....blah blah blah".( Iand that was just meeting another girl of the same age).. but when I was solo travelling in NZ I would go for meals with other lone travellers who just happened to be travelling on the same bus / staying at the same hostel judging merely on appearance.... This didn't give the Aussie rellies the vapours at all...... Actually the priniciples for lone travelling (which was what I did to worry my parents before the internet was widespread lol ) could be apply just as well to the net ..... Be prepared, aware of the potential dangers, don't stray in to areas you know to be dangerous and prepare strategies to get out of dangerous situations you may fall into by chance. And then having minimised the risks enjoy the journey!! __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace Last edited by Mithalwen; 09-01-2004 at 12:14 PM.