The computer screen is glowing; do you know where your child is surfing? The Internet is an extremely popular and useful communication, education, and entertainment service. Families all over the world, shop, research, chat, and e-mail online everyday. Teenagers are able to hone their research skills by doing much of their academic work online. If there is something you want to know about, fire up your browser, type in a search phrase, wait a second, and there is your answer. Knowledge is virtually at your fingertips. However, with all of the positives that go along with the Internet come some very real and frightening negatives. Online predators are looking for your child. Do you know what to do?

Statistics

The statistics speak for themselves. According to Cyber Angels, a cyber space volunteer guardian group made up of technology specialists, law enforcement officers, educators, and others, by the time they reach the age of fourteen, 77 % of children have been contacted by an online predator. However, only about 25% of these children tell their parents about their encounters with these predators, and less that 10% actually tell authorities about what occurred. Even more alarming, nearly 75% of children freely give out personal information online. With only one-third of households with computers protecting their children through filtering and blocking programs, these statistics can continue to rise.

Warning Signs

How closely do you monitor your child? Unless you continuously stand over her shoulder as she surfs the web, you can't monitor her closely enough. Realistically, you probably can't be with your child every time she logs on the Internet, but you can become more aware of your child's computer habits.

How often and when does your child use the computer? Typically, he probably spends the majority of his time using the Internet at night and on the weekends. Online predators know this, and they spend the majority of their time looking for victims during those times. It isn't unusual for children to use the Internet nearly every night and on the weekends, giving potential sexual offenders more opportunities to meet them. If your child spends a lot of time online, you have cause for concern.

While surfing the web is a common pastime for both children and adults, you should keep your eyes open for any changes in your child's personality. Has she become more withdrawn from you and other members of the family? Does she seem more secretive, maybe even hostile? Online predators play on children's trust and emotions. For many predators, a primary goal is to isolate your child from you emotionally so she will turn to them for support, companionship, and possibly love. If the predator can work his way into your child's life online, eventually he may be able to meet her in person.

Have you noticed any phone numbers on your Caller ID or your child's cell-phone that are unfamiliar? Even if a child hesitates to give out his own phone number, he may take down the phone number of the computer predator, not realizing that his number will show on the potential sex offender's Caller ID. Talking to your child on the phone is the online predator's next step in creating a more serious relationship and tighter bond.

Do you get the mail everyday, or does your child have access to it before you do? To gain your child's affection and trust, the predator may send your child gifts, letters, and even pictures of himself. He may also send bus or plane tickets to your child, providing an opportunity for your son or daughter to go to him.

Do you check the history on your computer? If you do, have you found pornography? Many sexual offenders send sexually explicit images of themselves and others over the Internet. They are trying to seduce your child online, and they are also trying to establish a pattern of normalcy for these kinds of acts.

Education and Prevention

There are some very important steps you can take to protect your child, however. Obviously, one of the first things you need to do is to use the parental controls that your Internet service provider offers. You can also purchase blocking and filtering software for your computer. This isn't enough, though.

Don't let your child have a computer in her room. Instead, place the computer in a family area, such as a living room, dining room, kitchen, or den. It is important that your child realize you have instant access to whatever she is doing online. You should make a habit of walking past the computer when she is using it. If she seems upset that you occasionally look over her shoulder, ask her why that bothers her. Explain your worries and caution your child about the possibility of sexual offenders contacting her online.

Educate her. Let her know that a person may not be who or what he says he is. If she is chatting in a teen chat room, remind her that the teen she is chatting with may not be a teen at all. Tell her that she is not allowed to give out any personal information about herself, including her last name, to anyone. Don't allow your child to surf the web after you have gone to bed. If you have to, set a timer on the computer that automatically logs her off after a certain amount of time.

If your child's personality seems to have changed, try to find out what is going on. Investigate your computer's history. There is software you can buy that tracks every site your teen visits. It can also record online conversations. Search for diskettes that your child may have used to save information, pictures, etc. that have been sent to her by the online predator. Keep in mind that even if you remove the computer from your home, your child can still access the Internet from a friend's computer or from a public computer at a library.

If your child has a cell phone, pay close attention to the phone numbers on the monthly bill. If you don't recognize some of the numbers, call them yourself and ask your child about them. If your child gets the mail before you and you think something may be going on, open a post office box at your local post office and instruct the mail carrier to only deliver mail to that box.

Finally, do your best to create an open and trusting relationship with your child to try and prevent problems before they occur. Let your child see that you are aware of what can happen online, and how concerned you are about your child using the computer responsibly. Teach your child how to be cautious while using the computer. The Internet is a wonderful entertainment and educational tool if used properly, but parents should always be alert to the possibility of online predators.