It is similar to the experience of immigrant families, in which children learn the ways and language and lead their parents into the strange new world. Parry wrote The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace to address this familial divide. The greatest potential danger is online exchanges that lead to offline encounters. Another very serious danger results from the sharing of too much personal information online, where the teenager can become the victim of cyberstalking and torment. Although greater time online was associated with increased likelihood of participating in or encountering potentially problematic behaviors, risky interactions were a part of the cyber experience of many girls, regardless of time spent online.
Guidelines are always important for assisting young people in making good choices.
The guidelines need to include rules to promote safety and prosocial interaction. Moreover, the guidelines should include limits on the time spent on the computer. Online relationships are not an adequate replacement for other activities and friendships. Most of the Internet is a valuable resource of educational material. Yet we need to warn young people not just about their potential vulnerability online, but also of the risks of becoming offenders.