Distinguishing fact from fiction is an essential element in preparing your children to face possible online risks. A recent study, "Online 'Predators' and Their Victims: Myths, Realities, and Implications for Prevention and Treatment," is a must-read for parents and guardians worried about what their children may face online.

The study's authors rightfully draw attention to sensationalized media coverage of online predators. For instance, many stories cite the statistic from a 2005 study that states 1 in 7 youth is contacted by an Internet predator; the stories do not indicate that many of the youth believed these solicitations to be from other youth or just careless vulgar comments. Additionally, the study reports that 1 in 25 received an aggressive solicitation in which the solicitor tried to meet offline. This is a much more accurate representation of the sexual solicitation of youth by online predators. In an effort to clarify this distinction in our own programming, NetSmartz has identified and is in the process of amending the materials in which we use this statistic.

The study also indicates that predators are more likely to communicate with teens in chatrooms and through IM rather than their social networking pages. While this may be true, the data from the study was generated at the beginning of the social networking phenomenon. NetSmartz hesitates to dismiss the fear that a predator may initially contact teens through social networking sites, which are after all becoming one-stop shops for online communication, offering their own e-mail, forum, chatroom, and IM services. These communication tools are no longer separate entities, so pay attention to your teens' online activities to determine which tools they're using and how they are using them.

The researchers also find that "posting personal information online does not, by itself, appear to be a particularly risky behavior." Essentially, posting personal information online in combination with other risky behavior, such as talking to unknown people online about sex or other provocative subject matter, poses more of a risk to teens. However, NetSmartz still strongly insists that children refrain from posting personal information online, including their name, address, phone number, e-mail address, vulnerabilities, secrets, provocative photos, and evidence of dangerous or criminal behavior. Just as you would continue advising people to wear seatbelts, even if there were no car accidents for a year, NetSmartz will continue advising children not to post personal information online.

Revealing too much online puts children at risk from

• Predators that may access a child's personal information and use it to harm him or her
  
• Cyberbullies who may use a child's personal information as a weapon to spread rumors, distribute incriminating photos or conversations, or impersonate him or her online
  
• Scammers who may identify children who reveal personal information online as easy targets for manipulation.
  

Furthermore, children and teens who post incriminating photos or information may damage future educational and career opportunities.

If you take away one thing from this study, let it be this: focus on the realities of online risks, not your worst fears. Here at NetSmartz we are optimistic that most teens seem to have absorbed the message and are practicing safer online behaviors. Now let's focus our attention on the ones who don't.