The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children advises that Internet-related complaints grew from 640 per year in 1993 to 188,000 in 1999. An estimated 10.5 million children are now online and an estimated 45 million will be online by 2002. Millions of children surf the Internet for school and entertainment. The Internet is a constantly growing educational resource for children and can be a positive experience.
Children also communicate through E-mails, chat rooms and public message boards.
Unsupervised, the Internet can be dangerous, exposing our children to predators and inappropriate material. We must educate our children and parents to become cyber-smart. Prevention and awareness is the key to deter cyber-predators and exposure to inappropriate material. Children are trusting, na ve, and curious. They must be supervised by parents who have a fundamental understanding of computer technology and the Internet.