Parents and Kids:
 

Twenty percent of children between the ages of 10 and 17 report being sexually solicited online, while only half of these children report the solicitation to an adult. Parents often feel they cannot effectively protect their children online because they lack the knowledge and technical skills necessary to do so. IBC has developed an effective training program geared towards helping parents understand both the technical and psychological impact the Internet has on children and teens.

Start by considering the following statements about the Internet. Answer True or False to each statement to help determine your level of knowledge about the areas of the Internet that children and teens often use:

  • The majority of files exchanged on Peer-to-Peer networks (such as Kazaa) are copyrighted music files.
  • Teen chat rooms are monitored to ensure my child is safe from inappropriate conversation and pornography.
  • Unless my child gives someone identifying information, there is no way to find out who they are or where they live.
  • Online gambling is not a problem among teen Internet users.
  • In Moos and Muds, kids are rarely exposed to sexual content.

All of the above statements are FALSE. If you answered "True" to any of them, you may benefit from IBC's training, consultation, and resources. The following list are the statements after they have been modified to be "True".

  • The majority of files exchanged on Peer-to-Peer networks (such as Kazaa) are pornography, including an extensive amount of child pornography.
  • Teen chat rooms are typically not monitored, and even those that are cannot ensure what happens during a private conversation between your child and another user.
  • There are many ways to find out the location and possibly the names of users. Many inappropriate users just watch chat conversations until they have enough data to piece together the puzzle.
  • Online gambling is a significant problem among teen Internet users.
  • Sexual content is not uncommon in many of the gaming areas, such as Multi-User Dwellings (aka Muds).

Parents sometimes realize too late that their child has a problem with Internet use. It may be how much they use the Internet, or it could be the places they go. Either way, IBC is equipped to assist the family in determining the extent of the problems and connecting them to appropriate resources.