Online Dangers - Did You Know?

There has been an increase in sexual material being presented to children despite the use of Internet filtering, blocking and other monitoring software being used by their parents at home.

Over half (51%) of parents either do not have or do not know if they have software on their computer(s) that monitors where their teenager(s) go online and with whom they interact.

Nearly three out of 10 (28%) of parents don't know or are not sure if their teens talk to strangers online.

30% of parents allow their teenagers to use the computer in private areas of the house such as a bedroom or a home office. Parents say they are more vigilant about where their teen(s) go online if the computer is in a public area of the household.

58% of parents surveyed say they review the content of what their teenager(s) read and/or type in chat rooms or via Instant Messaging; 42% do not.

Four percent of children received aggressive solicitation from adults who attempted to meet the children in person.

Four percent of the children surveyed reported that online solicitors requested nude photos of them.

Acquaintances were major players in unwanted online solicitations, which included harassment; 14 percent were from off-line friends.

42% of parents do not review the content of what their teenager(s) read and/or type in chat rooms or via Instant Messaging.

Teenagers who Instant Message use chat lingo to communicate and parents don't know the meanings of some of the most commonly used phrases. 57% don't know LOL (Laughing Out Loud), 68% don't know BRB (Be Right Back), and 92% don't know A/S/L (Age/Sex/Location).

95% of parents couldn't identify common chat room lingo that teenagers use to warn people they're chatting with that their parents are watching. Those phrases are POS (Parent Over Shoulder) and P911 (Parent Alert).