Online Safety Resource
We deliver reasons and resources to help keep your family safe online.

The title of the article found in the York Dispatch was “Missing Spring Grove girl returned home; man in custody in New Jersey” The missing girl that was returned home is 13-years-old. A 20-year-old man she met in an Internet chat room earlier that same day took her to New Jersey. It was found that he definitely knew her age and that she left with him voluntarily because she was not happy at home. The Internet Predators thrive on that sort of mood. The grooming process involves getting between the family and breaking it apart.
Think about it. How many 13-year-old girls are always happy at home? They are young and confused and just do not realize how happy they really are. I do not know what she was unhappy about but, at that age, it could have been something as simple as getting her TV privileges taken away. She was missing for two days. You have to question what else may have been taken away from her.
A quote from the Southwestern Regional Police Chief Gregory Bean as a reminder to parents of the possible dangers of the Internet:
"It's another example of how the outside world comes directly into your home," he said. "Some of that is good and some of that is people with some very bad thoughts and issues attached. ... It's just a whole new generation that's growing up."

This next story is from the National News Desk of Injuryboard.com titled “Teens Easily Lured By Online Sex Offenders”. The news story is about a 15-year-old girl from Florida that was lured away from home by a 38-year-old man in an Internet Chat Room. She was found safe a few hundred miles away from home.
The girl told her friends that she met the man in the popular social network MySpace.com and “fell in love with him”.
The man was apprehended three days later. He is 46-years-old and has a conviction for raping his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter in 2002. Enough said.

In a news story from the Sun Times a police officer has a message for parents “Beware of Internet’s dark side, police officer warns parents” The officer had some very well said words:

“Parents must take control of their children's Internet use by insisting they stop sharing personal information on the World Wide Web”

"Parents with this new technology have lost control"

"The majority of parents do not have a clue what their kids are doing online."

"If you're walking through a mall, would you walk up to a stranger or all the strangers in the mall and tell them your name, your date of birth, where you live, what you like, what your pet's name is, what school teams you're on? Of course not.” - "(Yet) you go home and you tell everybody in the world that," on the Internet. "This is where our pedophiles are getting all their pictures from."

Keeping the Kids Safe

Online Safety Tips

• Your children do not have the right to privacy from you regarding their online activities
• Teens often have more than one email account. Families should set rules of one email account per family member and know all of their kid’s passwords
• You might want to consider signing up for your own MySpace account. That way you can fully understand the language of social networking – It might even be a fun experience for you.

Online Safety Resource recommended Computer Monitoring Program – eBlaster

Sometimes you need to know about the Predators advances quickly. eBlaster will let you know as it happens. Time-sensitive events such as an Internet Predator’s chat room advances directed toward your son or daughter -- require immediate action. That is why eBlaster employs Instant Notification to provide you with an EXACT copy of every email, chat, and instant message.

Sign up for the Online Safety Resource Newsletter