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This is the 9th of

10 conversations

about preventing

child sexual abuse.

Next Conversation:

#10 The Public's Opinion on Child Sexual Abuse

Public Believes Prevention

is Possible

Reporting suspected child sexual abuse is everyone's responsibility - whether a
mandated reporter or private citizen. If you suspect a child has been sexually
abused, contact your local child protective services. To locate the child
protective services reporting number in your state, as well as other resources,
call Childhelp at

800-4-A-CHILD

Thank you for your commitment to

protecting children.

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© 2011, Massachusetts Citizens for Children Inc.

Permission to copy, disseminate or otherwise use information from this report is
granted as long as Enough Abuse Campaign/Massachusetts Citizens for Children is
identified as the source.

We are all surrounded by technology - the internet, cell phones, texts, instant
messaging services, chat rooms, emails, gaming consoles and social networks. And
it is constantly evolving.

While there are a great many benefits, there are also associated risks.
Unfortunately, children and teenagers are often not aware of these risks or
don’t fully understand the real-life implications of what they do while online.
Don’t be uninformed. Understand the scope of the problem of child sexual
exploitation while online, learn how to reduce your child’s risk and what you
can do to protect them.

You should know that:
* Only 1/3 of households with Internet access are proactively protecting their
children using filtering or blocking software. (National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children)

* 75% of children are willing to share personal information online about
themselves in exchange for goods and services. (eMarketer)

* 71% of all parents reported that they stop monitoring their child’s use of
the Internet after the child turns 14, not knowing that most of all
Internet-related missing children are 15 years of age or older. (Los Angeles
County District Attorney’s Office)

* One in 33 youth received an aggressive sexual solicitation in the past year.
According to the survey, these young people are called on the phone or asked to
meet somewhere by a strangers who use correspondence, money, or gifts via the U.
S. Postal Service to contact them. (Youth Internet Safety Survey)

According to the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research
Center:
* One in five U. S. teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet said they
have received unwanted sexual solicitation via the Web. Solicitations are
defined as requests to perform sexual activities or sexual talk, or to give
personal sexual information.

* 77% of the targets for online predators were age 14 or older. Another 22%
were under 13.

* Only 25% of solicited children were distressed by their encounters and told
a parent.

* Only 17% of youth and 11% of parents could name a specific authority, e.g.
police, FBI, the CyberTipline, and Internet Service Providers, to which they
could report an Internet crime.

Very few teen would ever send suggestive photos

or images of themselves to their friends.

You decide. One in five teens between the ages of 13 and 19 have shared nude or
semi-nude images of themselves either via text or by posting online; over 1 in
10 have shared suggestive photos of themselves. Teen girls are only slightly
more likely to do this than boys. (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and
Unplanned Pregnancy and Cosmogirl.com)

Sexting is sending nude or semi-nude pictures via cell phone or instant
messenger. As technology has advanced and cell phones have the capability to
record and send photos and video, the practice of sending suggestive and
explicit pictures has increased, especially among teens.

You should be aware that sexting involving minors may violate laws in your state
and, in some states, is legally considered child pornography. In many cases the
legal ramifications for a minor sexting, either pictures of him/herself or
passing along the sexts of another minor, are quite serious. For more
information regarding the laws on sexsing in your state call or visit your local
District Attorney's office.

1. Educate yourself about technology and the Internet. Go to
www.enoughabuse.org and browse our list of state and national resources and
links.

2. Supervise your child when on the Internet and help them become responsible
users.

3. Start a conversation with your child about the benefits and risks of using
technology. Work together to establish age appropriate ground rules for
Internet usage. By involving your children in discussions about rights,
responsibilities, privacy, and personal safety they will be more likely to
follow your family’s rules and establish their own personal standards of
Internet safety.

4. Keep the conversation going. As technology changes and your children grow
older, you will want to revisit your family’s ground rules and continue
educating your child or teenager on how to protect themselves, their private
information, and how to be responsible users of technology.

References

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Enough Abuse Campaign
Massachusetts Citizens for Children
112 Water Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02109
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