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KEEP KIDS SAFE ONLINE:
Problems with chat

There are commercial services, such as America Online, that have their own public and private chat rooms, where people can talk "in real time." In cyberspace, where all we see are printed words on a screen, people can easily misrepresent themselves.

Usually such deceptions are benign pranks, but pedophiles can use this anonymity to manipulate and exploit. Some predators at first pretend to be just another youngster seeking a new friend. This can lead to inappropriate talk. Even more disturbing are cases where youngsters or other family members have been demeaned, harassed, threatened, or stalked.

Most frightening are the (thankfully few) high-profile cases where kids have actually been lured away from home to meet their new online "friend." By the time the youngster discovers that this new 14-year-old friend is a 40-year-old adult, he or she may have already been lured into an unhealthy relationship.

1. Solving the Puzzle
   
2. Problems With Chat
   
3. Exposure to Adult Material
   
4. Traffic in Child Pornography
   
5. Different Ages, Different Problems
   
6. Communication & Supervision
   
7. My Rules for Online Safety
   

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