What is The Web?

The Web
(also known as the Internet, the Net, the World Wide Web)
The Web consists of millions of Web sites in hundreds of languages that are filled with information on almost every topic imaginable. Some Web sites allow you to read newspapers, shop, research, and play games.
Caution!
- Although there are plenty of safe Web sites on the Internet, there are more than enough sites that contain "adult" images and material. Some of these Web sites can be found quite easily by accidentally clicking on a link or typing in a Web address incorrectly.
- There are many scams online today, so it is important to look at the Web site carefully. Just because a site looks safe does not necessarily mean that it is safe. Entering personal information could mean giving up your privacy, as your name and information could end up being sold without your knowledge.
- Downloading from Web sites can lead to unwanted advertising on your computer, individuals tracking what your are doing online, planting viruses that make your computer more venerable to hackers, and more. Never download anything unless you are certain it is from a trustworthy source.

Parent/Guardian Involvement with Online Safety

Here are some of the findings about the parents and guardians of the youth surveyed and their involvement with online safety from Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later (2006)

• 88% of parents and guardians said they had talked to their children about giving out personal information online
• 86% of parents and guardians said they had talked to their children about the dangers of chatting online with people they do not know in person
• 77% of parents and guardians said they had talked to their children about responding to offensive, nasty, or mean messages
• 76% of parents and guardians said they had talked to their children about talking online about very personal things such as sex
• 76% of parents and guardians said they had talked to their children about dealing with X-rated pop-up ads or spam E-mail
• 51% of youth said their parents or guardians had spoken with them in their past year about seeing X-rated pictures on the Internet
• 47% of youth said their parents or guardians had spoken with them in the past year about people on the Internet who want to talk to them about sex
• 53% of youth said their parents or guardians had spoken with them in the past year about people on the Internet who might threaten, harass, or bother them
• 47% of families used software to block pop-up ads
• 47% of families used software to block spam
• 47% of families used software to filter sexually explicit images or Web sites
• 35% of families used software that monitored youths' online activities
• 31% of families used software that blocked or controlled use of chatrooms
• 30% of families used software that blocked personal information from being posted or E-mailed
• 22% of families used software that included a browser or search engine just for kids
• 11% of families used software that limited the amount of time youth could spend online
• 35% of parents and guardians had heard of places to report unwanted Internet experiences
• 12% of youth told parents or guardians about unwanted sexual solicitations
• 27% of youth told parents or guardians about exposures to sexual material
• 31% of youth told parents or guardians about a harassment
  

Online Victimization of Youth

The report Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later (2006) was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center. This national survey of 1,500 youth aged 10 to 17 documented their use of the Internet and experiences while online including unwanted exposure to sexual solicitation, sexual material, and harassment.

The report can be downloaded here: Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later (2006)

Here are just a few of the interesting findings:

• 70% of the girls and 30% of the boys who were surveyed were targeted for sexual solicitations and approaches
• 81% who were targeted for sexual solicitations and approaches were ages 14 or older
• 73% of the perpetrators of sexual solicitations and approaches were male
• 79% of solicitation incidents happened on home computers
• Of the youth who were solicited, 86% met solicitors online, while 14% were people the youth knew in person before the solicitation
• In aggressive solicitations incidents, 75% of solicitors asked to meet youth in person
• In 56% of the cases, youth did not tell anyone about solicitations
• 54% of the boys and 46% of the girls had unwanted exposure to sexual material
• 83% of unwanted exposure to sexual material incidents happened while youth were surfing the Web
• 86% of youth saw images of naked people, and more than half saw more explicit pictures
• 79% of unwanted exposure to sexual material happened at home
• 34% of youth had posted their real names, telephone numbers, home addresses, or the names of their schools online where anyone could see
• 21% of youth in exposure incidents said they knew a site was X-rated before entering
• 28% of youth said they had "made rude or nasty comments to someone on the Internet"
  

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a non-profit agency that was established in 1984. NCMEC works closely with the government and law enforcement agencies across the United States. Not only do they help find missing children, they also provide assistance to children and the families of children who have been sexually exploited, abused, or abducted. NCMEC also focuses on educating the public and promoting awareness regarding those issues. Their CyberTipline is a widely-successful tool that the public may use to report Internet related crimes against children.
Click here for further information about NCMEC

Child Online Protection Laws

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is enforced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. It prohibits U.S.-based Web sites from collecting any personal information from children under 13 years of age without parental consent. The act states that parental consent must be given prior to collection or use a child's personal information. The Web site operator is required to provide a privacy policy regarding their Web site, along with what the information collected will be used for and who will have access to the information.
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is an attempt to limit children's exposure to obscene material online. The act requires that schools and libraries that accept federal funding must track the use of the Internet by children. Software must be installed on every computer to block or filter any harmful materials.
The Child Online Protection Act (COPA) required commercial Web sites to verify proof of age before giving users access to sexually explicit material considered obscene for minors. In 1999, a permanent injunction was ordered against its enforcement.
The Child Pornography Protection Act (CPPA) states that the possession or posting of digital/electronic visual representations of minors engaged in sexual activity is illegal. The law is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court.

Family Contract for Online Safety

It is important that parents communicate with their children to help them understand the risks of the Internet. Developing a family contract can be very helpful to remind children what the household rules are for using the Internet. Parents should also read over each rule with the child to make sure that they understand what they are signing. If children do not abide by the rules of the contract, penalty may be along the lines of not being able to use the computer for a week. The following is a link with family contracts that parents can use or modify as they see fit. Family Contracts

Sexual Crimes Against Children

Many parents today see many stories about sexual crimes against children. Any requests towards children under the age of consent (varies in different states) from an adult to engage in sexual activities, sexual talk, giving out personal sexual information is sexual solicitation. These solicitations may involve the perpetrator requesting offline contact with child through the mail, on the telephone, or in person. Another type of sexual oriented crimes against children is unwanted exposure to sexual material. If a child is on the Internet, there are many ways for them to view obscene material. Just opening email, links, accidentally clicking something or even pop up advertisements, whether the children are seeking the material or not is a crime. This includes being exposed to pictures of naked people or people engaging in sexual activity. It is important to monitor the use of the Internet by children. These sexual crimes are a perfect example of why adults must enforce and adhere to strict household or classroom rules regarding the use of the Internet.