Chat Rooms Dangerous For Kids?

Chat rooms and IMs have been and still are very popular with any age groups today. Children as young as 8 have used chat rooms and IMs not actually knowing the dangers it could lead. If any one is a parent out there, monitoring computer usage for kids under the age of, in my opinion, 14. In fact did you know that "89% of sexual solicitations are made in either chat rooms or Instant Messages and 20% of children age 10-17 have been solicited sexually online; that's 1 out of every 5 kids," (Cyber Safety Statistics), I will post the link to this information and more facts about chat rooms below! 


The fact is, there are sick people in the world and anyone can have access to the internet. There is a good chance a person like that can talk to and even convince your kid to see them, all through chat rooms/IMs. It is not that safe unless kids are taught other wise to NEVER talk to strangers and do their homework before considering going on a chat room/IM. There has been a case around where I live, where a elementary school teacher was caught looking up child porn on his home and school computer. Thankfully he was caught and lost his job! There are sick people out there who do, do these things. Some go as far as to try and obtain a child. There are many cases out there of kids being sexually solicited online and even abducted! "9 out of 10 parents will never know that any inappropriate contact has occurred" and "14% have actually met face to face with a person they have met on the Internet." Be careful, be safe.


Good Luck


http://www.netlingo.com/tips/cyber-safety-statistics.php