internetsafety

Internet-Related Safety Tips for Teens

The Internet is exciting new territory for many young people; however, stories from law-enforcement officials, caregivers, and young people themselves suggest that not every online adventure is a happy one. The Internet has a seamier side that young people seem to be encountering with greater frequency.²

There are risks for children who use the Internet or online services. Teenagers are particularly at risk because they often use the computer unsupervised and are more likely than younger children to participate in online discussions regarding companionship, relationships, or sexual activity. A child might provide information or arrange an encounter that could risk his or her safety or the safety of other family members.

Predators have used E-mail, instant messages, bulletin boards, and chat areas to gain a child's confidence and then arrange a face-to-face meeting. This sometimes leads to the child traveling to meet the person he or she is chatting with or the person traveling to meet the child. Sometimes the other party is an adult whose intent is to have sex with the child.³

Based on a study of 1,501 teens and preteens, approximately one in five received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet in 1999. Less than 10 percent of these sexual solicitations were reported to authorities such as a law-enforcement agency, an Internet service provider, or a hotline. Most families do not know where to report Internet offenses.4

What is Being Done About this Problem?

Law-enforcement officials are tracking down an ever-increasing number of “predators” on the Internet. There is now more specialized training available to law-enforcement regarding this issue.5 State and local task forces are forming at ever-increasing numbers to combat Internet-related child exploitation. Through funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 39 Internet Crimes Against Children task force units have been set up nationwide and currently focus on child sexual exploitation online. One of the most important tools for law-enforcement personnel and families was the development of NCMEC’s CyberTipline. This online reporting mechanism has initiated numerous investigations and arrests of child predators.

What Can Be Done to Prevent This From Happening?

The responsibility of preventing and resolving Internet crimes against children is not merely a federal or local issue. Technology has demonstrated it to be a global responsibility, because it can be a borderless crime. By informing communities about the many existing resources available and having caregivers taking a more active role, we can make the journey through cyberspace safer for children.

Although there are many resources available to safeguard children while using the Internet, it is important to remember that the best way to protect children is to supervise them while they are online.

Families should ensure that their children are visiting appropriate sites and safely using chatrooms by sitting at the computer with them. But, because this is not always possible, families should strongly consider using resources such as parental controls like "filtering" or "blocking" software.

118 U.S.C. 2425.

2David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. Online Victimization: A Report to the Nation’s Youth. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2000, page viii [hereinafter Online Victimization].

3Lawrence J. Magid. Child Safety on the Information Highway. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 1998, page 3-4.

4Online Victimization, supra note 1, page ix.

5Id., page 35.

Safety Tips:

1. Don’t give out personal information about yourself, your family situation, your school, your telephone number, or your address.

2. If you become aware of the sharing, use, or viewing of child pornography online, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

3. When in chatrooms remember that not everyone may be who they say they are. For example a person who says "she" is a 14-year-old girl from New York may really be a 42-year-old man from California.1

4. If someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate, or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, contact your Internet service provider.

5. Know that there are rules many Internet Service Providers (ISP) have about online behavior. If you disobey an ISP's rules, your ISP may penalize you by disabling your account, and sometimes every account in a household, either temporarily or permanently.

6. Consider volunteering at your local library, school, or Boys & Girls Club to help younger children online. Many schools and nonprofit organizations are in need of people to help set up their computers and Internet capabilities.

7. A friend you meet online may not be the best person to talk to if you are having problems at home, with your friends, or at school - remember the teenage "girl" from New York in Tip number three? If you can't find an adult in your school, church, club, or neighborhood to talk to, Covenant House is a good place to call at 1-800-999-9999. The people there provide counseling to kids, refer them to local shelters, help them with law enforcement, and can serve as mediators by calling their parents.

8. If you are thinking about running away, a friend from online (remember the 14-year-old girl) may not be the best person to talk to. If there is no adult in your community you can find to talk to, call the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-621-4000. Although some of your online friends may seem to really listen to you, the Switchboard will be able to give you honest, useful answers to some of your questions about what to do when you are depressed, abused, or thinking about running away.2

2Adapted from Children Online: The ABCs for Parenting: When Is Your Child Ready by The Children's Partnership. Reprinted with permission of The Children's Partnership. http://www.childrenspartnership.org

Helpful Links:

On-line enticement of children for sexual acts

Get Netwise

SafeSurf

Children's Partnership Organization

Internet Safety - Important Information for Parents

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The internet is a great place to buy cars, sell collectibles and stay informed. But for child molesters, it’s a new, effective and more anonymous way to sexually exploit children.

To reduce the risks, you need to know the

potential dangers and report them. At the

National Center for Missing & Exploited

Children, we’ve created the CyberTipline to help fight back. And it works. Since 1998, we’ve dealt with more than 120,000 leads and we’ve worked tirelessly with law enforcement to help bring these predators to justice. To report child sexual exploitation, call the police.

Then call us at 1-800-843-5678 or contact us at www.cybertipline.com. Child molesters may hide behind cute screen names. But together we can expose them for what they really are.