Mystified by MySpace?

Help is on the way for parents and caregivers who want to provide their children the wonders of the Internet but who also want to keep their kids safe. A representative of Attorney General Roy Cooper’s Office will be at Asheboro High School in the Professional Development Center on Thursday, November 15th at 5:30pm to present an Internet safety video and distribute free copies of a resource guide for parents.

According to a national survey, one in every seven children received an unwanted sexual solicitation online in the previous year. Law enforcement officials and child safety experts report that child predators are lurking in Internet chat rooms and sites where children play online games, and cruising popular networking sites like MySpace and Xanga. When these adults begin communicating with children online they work to manipulate their victims into a face-to-face meeting, with tragic results.

The video and parent guide are part of the Attorney General’s Internet safety initiative, which also includes Internet safety education materials for teachers and School Resource Officers. The videos and resource guides were produced in consultation with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The presentation for parents will also include information about other online dangers including exposure to sexually explicit materials.

Following the internet safety presentation members of the Asheboro City Board of Education will make a brief presentation on the 2007-2010 strategic plan. While this meeting is designed for parents of Asheboro High School students, the community is welcome to attend.