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There has been a spate of cases in which children became involved in despicable crimes through online games that can be enjoyed with users around the world.
It is important to sufficiently tell children at home and school about the dangers that are lurking in the games.
A 16-year-old high school girl living in Tokyo was found dead in a house in Aichi Prefecture. A man living in the house was arrested by police on suspicion of abandoning the body. The girl left her home after telling her family that she was going to stay at the home of a man she got acquainted with through an online game, according to investigative sources.
The girl had multiple stab wounds on her neck and shoulders. The man said that he stabbed her after an argument over a game, according to sources.
Online games allow people to team up with others they do not know personally. A sense of camaraderie is created in the process of completing games together. Some people use the message function and actually meet in person. The police should move quickly to find out what happened between the two in this case.
Last year, 98 children nationwide were victims of crimes in cases involving online games. In addition to junior high and high school students, elementary school students were also notably victimized.
In January this year, it was found that a high school boy had been lured to Myanmar by a man he knew through an online game and was forced to play a part in special fraud there. The reality that games have become a gateway to serious crimes must be taken seriously.
There may be more than a few households in which other family members do not know what children are doing when they shut themselves into their rooms. Some may wish to respect their children’s autonomy and refrain from interfering too much. It is an age when, even at schools, it is becoming difficult to give strict guidance to students.
The internet can be a place to enjoy interacting with many people, but dangers also are lurking there. Sometimes a person may try to approach children by falsifying their age or gender. There is also a method to lure children into crimes by offering them expensive items that are used in games or giving them hints and tips for games.
Parents should pay close attention to what games their children are playing, who they are communicating with and whether there is any suspicious behavior, among other points.
It is also important for each family to set rules for enjoying games, such as not handing over personal information to anyone. If children are in trouble, they should immediately talk to their parents, who may need to contact the police depending on the situation.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many more encounters via the internet. The risk of children becoming victims of crimes while their parents are unaware is increasing. Adults should remember that they are responsible for the sound upbringing of children.
