Just about to start recording my thoughts about my chosen community when have just heard on the news that  young person found dead on Monday evening meeting up with a man she met on facebook! This is really shocking and terribly sad for the families concerned.  What makes a young person meet up with a total stranger? 

the fact that this stranger was a virtual 'friend' initially is probably crucial. there was likely to have been a series of friendly chats in the first instance, chats whereby the girl felt as if she had got to know the other person.

I might be controversial in my views but I don't think keeping young people away from facebook or any IM/social networking site will stop this kind of thing happening. It needs to be about educating the children and young people surely. I believe this awful situation would have happened even if the young person had met her killer in a cafe.  

This predator won't be wearing a badge or have horns he will be charming, otherwise the young person would not have agreed to meet him in the first place. So there needs to be more education of young people to be less trusting of strangers no matter what. I have no reall answer but I do feel that the social networking available to young people can have more benefits than disadvantages.

  will come back to ethnograhic ramblings later - on way to hosp!!