| Press
Release
NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN RELEASES
"BLOG BEWARE" AND SAFETY TIPS AT NETSMARTZ.ORG
President and CEO Ernie Allen to Testify Before Congress on the Sexual
Exploitation of Children Over the Internet Today
"Blog
Beware" Report
"Blog
Beware" Quiz
Ernie
Allen's Testimony
ALEXANDRIA, VA (April 4, 2006) – The National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) online safety
program, NetSmartz.org, is releasing a new report today entitled “Blog
Beware.” The report is being released as NCMEC’s President
and CEO Ernie Allen testifies in front of the U.S. House of Representatives
Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
about the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet.
“As technology evolves, so does the creativity of the online predator,”
said Mr. Allen. “It is essential to give parents, guardians, and
children the tools to help protect their families from this possible risk.
Additionally, the recent blogging phenomenon reinforces the importance
of educating teens on to how to play a part in their online safety.”
According to NCMEC’s Online Victimization Report:
- One in five children online is sexually solicited.
- One in thirty-three received an aggressive sexual solicitation—a
solicitor who asked to meet them somewhere; called them on the telephone;
sent them regular mail, money, or gifts.
- One in four had an unwanted exposure to pictures of naked people
or people having sex in the last year.
- About one quarter of the youth who encountered a sexual solicitation
or approach told a parent. Almost 40 percent of those reporting an unwanted
exposure to sexual material told a parent or guardian.
The report has tips about safer blogging and activities to help open
the lines of communication between parents, guardians, and their children
about Internet safety. The
report can be found at http://www.NetSmartz.org.
The NetSmartz Workshop is a program of NCMEC and the Boys & Girls
Clubs of America and has educated millions of children, parents, and guardians
since its inception in 2002.
About the NetSmartz Workshop
The NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational safety resource
from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC)
and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) that uses age-appropriate,
3-D activities to teach children and teens how to be safer when using
the Internet. NetSmartz uses the latest technology to create high-impact
educational activities that are well received by even the most tech-savvy
kids of any age group. The NetSmartz Workshop content is available at
no charge to the public at www.NetSmartz.org
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
(NCMEC)
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting
mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 365,600
leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement
with more than 117,100 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery
of more than 99,500 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its
toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at
www.missingkids.com.
CONTACT:
Communications Department
NCMEC
703-837-6111
Michael Khoo
Fenton Communications
202-822-5200
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