Want to keep your children in sight even when you cannot see them? No problem! A large variety of readily available spotting systems can keep an eye on your kids, whether they are playing in your backyard, on their way to school, hiking in a national park, or hiding behind a rack of clothes in the department store.
1. Technology used in spotting systems is not new. (For example, ankle bracelets to track law violators are in common use.) But until now, devices for children have failed to gain wide acceptance – due to lack of publicity, high price, non-user friendly features and sometimes, poor accuracy – issues which have been largely, but not entirely, corrected. According to some law enforcement officials, spotting systems for young children should become as common household items as DVD players and should be used whenever you leave home.
2. Finding the optimum system for your family takes research. Numerous manufacturers offer vastly different models with dissimilar technology and varying price ranges. Much information is below. Additional information can be found on the web under “child surveillance systems.”
3. Two general types of systems are available. There are short-range child locators, usually more appropriate for tracking young children; and long-range ones, for tracking teenagers. The short-range ones use radio signals and can generally track children up to about 600 feet outdoors and about half as far indoors. Long-range devices use GPS (global positioning system) technology and can track people miles away, even worldwide, via satellites circulating the earth. GPS accuracy is within several yards (meters).
4. Most local systems consist of a transmitter and receiver. Transmitters are lightweight, may resemble tiny teddy bears, wristbands or key chains, for example, and attach easily to a child’s clothing or shoes. The adult keeps the receiver. Such systems have names such as “Mommy I’m Here,” “Angel Alert” and “Track my Kids,” for example.
5. Systems offer various options. Transmitters (attached to the child) can be programmed to send a signal if a child wanders further than predetermined distances. Receivers (held by the adult) have maps that display the direction and distance of where the child is at that moment and may contain a beeper that becomes louder as you approach the child. Some receivers can activate the transmitter to set off a loud alarm. The alarm may be heard by the adult if the adult is nearby or will alert people in the vicinity of the lost child. Some transmitters have panic buttons that makes a loud noise, handy if an older child feels threatened.
6. Systems are not foolproof. According to one large manufacturer of these devices, the stated 600 feet range is based on clear line of sight and the range of accurate detection may be negatively affected by a host of factors: certain walls, floors, ceilings, metal structures, vehicles, windows, bodies of water, other wireless electronic devices, and lightning, to mention just a few on a long list.
7. Visually monitor children in the house. New technology allows you to see as well as hear children playing or sleeping in a designated room while you are free to move about the house. You mount up to three cameras in that room and receive clear pictures on a monitor that fits into the palm of your hand or attaches to your belt. You can watch one camera at a time but can switch manually or automatically between cameras.
8. GPS systems enable you to track teenagers. You can know where teenagers are going and, if driving, at what speed. (If you wish, you can track them surreptitiously, by concealing a GPS in their car or backpack, for example.) More sophisticated systems allow you to use a map to track teenagers on previous days, and receive alerts when the teenager leaves a predetermined perimeter without permission. GPS systems are more accurate than radio transmitters and information can be received on a cell phone.
9. Manufacturers have various payment packages. Systems can be bought outright, bought with monthly carrying charges, or rented. Many theme parks offer local systems for rent for the day. Systems are operated by relatively long- lasting batteries.
10. Do tracking systems violate children’s privacy? Proponents believe that safety supersedes all other issues and parents need not suffer the anguish of becoming separated from a child, even momentarily. Opponents ask at what age do children acquire rights of privacy. (Even fetuses have some legal rights.) Are these systems retying the umbilical cord? According to one website on the subject “Privacy laws protect individuals’ freedoms without differentiating whether the individual is a minor or an adult. Legal opinions are expected in the next year or two to clarify these issues.”
