OT - Protecting Children From Online Predators

August 30, 2004

(HealthNewsDigest.com)-More than 25 million children go online

regularly. Unfortunately, some child predators are taking advantage

of this fact by approaching children online with the intent to meet

them for a sexual encounter offline.

According to the Department of Justice, 1 in 5 children is sexually

solicited over the Internet. That's why parents should get involved

in their children's activities on the Internet and always know with

whom they are chatting online.

Online lingo, such as " ILU " (I Love You), " CYO " (See You Online),

and " a/s/l " (Age/Sex/Location) are commonly used by Internet-savvy

kids. Yet a national study found that less than five percent of

parents are familiar with the shorthand used by children online.

Unfortunately, many online predators know and use the lingo to become

friendly with kids. " Shorthand like 'POS' for 'parent over shoulder'

and 'WTGP' for 'want to go private' will stop being a mystery to

parents as they become more Internet savvy, and that will keep kids

safer, " says Ernie , president of the National Center for

Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

NCMEC recently partnered with the Ad Council to sponsor a national

multi-media campaign called Help Delete Online Predators. The effort

is meant to help parents learn ways to minimize their children's

risks of being victimized. It offers these tips:

• Take steps to educate yourselves about the Internet.

• Place the family computer in a common area, not a child's bedroom.

• Teach kids that people online are not always who they say they are.

• Talk with children about not giving out personal information over

the Internet.

" The Web is an incredible resource for kids, but we need to equip our

children to deal with the reality of today's online world by

educating them in how to spot troublesome behavior and make smart

decisions, " says .

To learn about kids' chat shorthand and to get tips on how to talk to

your children about online threats, visit www.cybertipline.com or

call 1-800-THE-LOST.

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