| If you believe that adults can suffer from identity theft | | | | know how are they supposed to react.The situation |
| or be mislead by online criminals, imagine what children | | | | for parents seems very difficult and organizations, or |
| can experience in case their online surfing time is not | | | | administrative units like the Commission on Online Child |
| properly guided. In fact, parents should know that when | | | | Protection, have been examining the subject of online |
| children are online, it is just like they are out in public. | | | | children protections in great extend. The problem is |
| Thus, educating kids and monitoring their online surfing | | | | that safety issues and moral issues tend to overlap |
| time can save parents from the anguish of having to | | | | and while parents agree that their children online safety |
| deal with an uncomfortable situation later.Exposed to a | | | | is among the top priorities on their list, they have not |
| variety of stimuli, children today are able to surf and | | | | yet reached a stage of mutual agreement of their |
| visit websites, portals, enter chat rooms or participate | | | | concerns or a reasonable and effective strategy to |
| in online games. Since technology has brought a | | | | limit the chances of their kids being exposed to such |
| tremendous shift in children's recreational time, kids | | | | kind of unwanted imagery or solicitations.As no single |
| should be taught that when they are talking with | | | | solution currently exists, it is imperative for parents to |
| someone in a chat room or an instant message | | | | educate their kids and explain that the internet is just |
| session, they are actually interacting with strangers | | | | like a city street with interesting parks and happy |
| unless they know in person the other party from the | | | | people but also full of dangerous characters and |
| "real" world, like their school class or sports team.A | | | | speedy drivers. Since identity can be hidden or even |
| number of social studies reveal a shocking number. | | | | altered while one is online it is crucial to make sure |
| One in 4 children between the ages of 10 and 17 are | | | | your children understand not to reveal any information |
| exposed to sexually explicit imagery and nearly 20 | | | | about their identity or whereabouts that would allow |
| percent has received an unwanted sexual solicitation | | | | someone to track them down. Of course that means |
| during the past year. Although "kids are tough" and are | | | | that no names, addresses, phone numbers, school or |
| not deeply hurt by these experiences as they consider | | | | parents' work locations and e-mail addresses. Finally, it |
| them as a forbidden "fun" game between peers, a | | | | is important for kids never to get together alone with |
| number of parents have reported that their children | | | | someone they meet online. If for whatever reason, |
| have been clearly disturbed by these type of online | | | | your child feels that it is absolutely imperative to get |
| exposures. Surely, apart from the kids, parents are | | | | together with someone that they have "met" online, |
| also extremely annoyed by the fact that unwanted | | | | make sure it's in a public place, like a restaurant, at a |
| exposures to porn and suitors have entered their kids' | | | | reasonable hour and that a parent is present. Although |
| lives through the virtual reality of a computer screen. | | | | this does not give you much assurance that everything |
| But the fact remains that even when children are not | | | | will go well, you will at least be able to check the |
| looking for these kind of information online, they can | | | | person's age, gender and demeanor. |
| readily find such material accidentally and then not to | | | | |