Secrets and Meeting Strangers

Many Internet using kids have been contacted by someone they did not know, and the majority of those kids respond back to those unknown individuals. Interestingly, 43% of parents polled through the Pew Internet and American Life Project reported worrying only "a little, or not at all" about their teens be contacted online by a stranger.

Ø 86% of girls believe they could chat in a chat room without their parents knowledge;

Ø 54% claim the ability to carry on an online romance;

Ø 46% say they could set up a "face-to-face" with someone they met online;

Ø One in five teens has arranged to meet an online friend in person;

Ø 60% of online teens have gotten an e-mail or IM from a total stranger, and 63% of those teens say they have responded to such contacts;

Ø Girls are more likely than boys to arrange a "face-to-face" meeting with a stranger - 26% of girls versus 14% of boys;

Ø 53% of online teens say they do not worry at all about being contacted online by a stranger.

Predators

Often times the Internet is likened to the "predators' play ground". Unfortunately, sexual predators are a fact of life on the Internet. They are individuals who, according to the FBI, attempt to sexually exploit children through the use of online services and the Internet. Predators are willing to devote considerable amounts of time, money and energy into the "grooming" or seduction process. Consider these facts:

• 1 in 5 children/teens under the age of 17 have received unwanted sexual solicitations online;

• 1 in 33 children/teens have received an aggressive solicitation to meet someone somewhere;

• 39% of students trust people that they chat with online;

• 6% of children/teens ages 10 to 17 are threatened or harassed online and only about half reported the incident to their parents.