The following article, written by the Madison Police Department, describes how parents can help their children use the internet safely.

Internet Safety Facts

(From the US Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)

• 19% or 1 in 5 of young internet users received an unwanted SEXUAL solicitation in the past year
• 3% received an aggressive solicitation that involved offline contact or attempts or requests for offline contact
• 25% of surveyed youth reported unwanted exposures to sexual material
• 6% of surveyed youth report experiencing harassment, defined as threats, rumors, or other offensive behavior

Who are the victims of unwanted sexual solicitations or approaches?

• 1/3 were male, 2/3 were female
• 77% were ages 14-17, remainder were 10-13 years of age

Who are the suspects?

• 97% of the solicitors were strangers
• 2/3 of solicitations came from males (as best as can be determined).

Where is this occurring?
For unwanted sexual solicitations via computer:

• 70% happened when the youth was using a computer at home
• 30% happened when youth was using a computer at someone else’s home

• 67% occurred at home
• 15% at school
• 13% at someone else’s home
• 3% at a library

What was done?

• 49% never told anyone about the unwanted sexual solicitation
• 44% never told of unwanted exposure to sexual material

**Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Fact Sheet March 2001 #4, complete report available for download at www.missingkids.com "Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation’s Youth".

Facts to Know for Parents and Teenagers:

People will lie about their identity on the internet, therefore, do not believe someone’s age is what they say it is.

Keep in mind the person you have talked to is a stranger and could be fabricating everything he/she has told you.

Some Signs of Distress:

• Excessive use of a computer, ie. All night, or every night for prolonged periods
• A blank screen or screen saver showing whenever an adult comes around
• Unaccounted for absences from home or anywhere else
• Passwords that parents do not have access to

Safety Guidelines for Parents:

• Talk to your child about danger online.
• Spend time with your child online. Understand how the Internet works, and how your child uses it.
• Keep the computer in a common area of the house.
• Utilize site-blocking software and/or parental controls provided by your online service provider.
• Randomly check your child’s e-mail. Be alert to packages your child may receive through the U. S. mail.
• Teach your child to use the Internet’s many resources. Don’t let your child limit their internet use to just chat rooms.
• Be aware of your child’s online use at school, the library and at the homes of your child’s friends.
• Understand that if your child is the victim of an online predator, your child is not at fault.

Safety Guidelines for Kids:

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school, or any identifying information about my school, without my parents’ permission.
• I will tell my parents/guardian/or other responsible adult right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I will never agree to get together with someone I meet online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will make sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father or guardian along.
• I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do, I will tell my parents/guardian right away. Specifically, I will not respond to obscene or threatening messages.

Child’s Signature: _____________________________________________________

Parent’s Signature: __________________________________________________

How to Report an Online Incident

• Save any digital evidence including any images. Don't delete offensive materials as they may be used as evidence later.
• Print a copy of any relevant chat logs, e-mail, or other documentation.
• Make note of user names or screen names of suspected offenders, note what chat room the conversation occurred in and the date and time.
• Make a report, including any documentation you have been able to obtain (The depth of the problem will not be known unless you do).

Where to report:
Report any on-line problems to your local police department. You may end up being asked to fill out a self-reporting form if there is no immediate threat or danger. Even if your case isn’t assigned to a detective for immediate follow-up your report should be reviewed, and may lead to eventual discovery of a pattern of criminal activity.

This project was supported by Grant #JF-01-TA-0006 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, coordinates the activities of the following program offices and bureau: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile, Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.