Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my son or daughter is at risk?

There are many signs that could indicate that your child is viewing pornography or communicating with an online predator.

  1. Sudden changes in habits or behavior
  2. Spends less time with friends and family members and more time isolated
  3. Spends large amounts of time on the computer
  4. Changes password without your knowledge
  5. Is secretive about instant message (IM) buddies
  6. The cache (short-term list of sites visited each day located in the pull-down menu of the address line) of your computer is emptied after your child has been on the computer
  7. Internet history file (long-term list of sites visited, downloads, etc.) is erased after your son or daughter uses the computer
  8. There are multiple ISP (Internet service providers) dial-up services on the desktop of your computer
  9. Minimizes the computer screen when you walk into the room
  10. Shares personal information with others over the Internet
  11. Gets lower grades in school while Internet use increases
  12. Accesses your Internet account from a friend's house
  13. Changes in sexual behavior (becomes active)
  14. Spends an inordinate amount of time at school or the local library
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What should I do if I suspect my son or daughter is communicating with a sexual predator online?

There are many steps you can take:

  1. Consider talking openly with your child about your suspicions. Tell them about the dangers of computer-sex offenders.
  2. Review what is on your child's computer. If you do not know how, ask a friend, co-worker, relative or other knowledgeable person. Pornography or any kind of sexual communication can be a warning sign.
  3. Use the Caller ID service to determine who is calling your child. Most telephone companies that offer Caller ID also offer a service that allows you to block your number from appearing on someone else's Caller ID. Telephone companies also offer an additional service feature that rejects incoming calls that you block. This rejection feature prevents computer-sex offenders or anyone else from calling your home anonymously.
  4. Devices can be purchased that show telephone numbers that have been dialed from your home phone. Additionally, the last number called from your home phone can be retrieved provided that the telephone is equipped with a redial feature. You will also need a telephone pager to complete this retrieval. This is done using a numeric-display pager and another phone that is on the same line as the first phone with the redial feature. Using the two phones and the pager, a call is placed from the second phone to the pager. When the paging terminal beeps for you to enter a telephone number, you press the redial button on the first (or suspect) phone. The last number called from that phone will then be displayed on the pager.
  5. Monitor your child's access to all types of live electronic communications (i.e., chat rooms, instant messages, Internet Relay Chat, etc.) and your child's e-mail. Computer-sex offenders almost always meet potential victims via chat rooms. After meeting a child online, they will continue to communicate electronically often via e-mail.
  6. Should any of the following situations arise in your household, via the Internet or online service, you should immediately contact your local or state law enforcement agency, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children :
    • Your child or anyone in the household has received child pornography;
    • Your child has been sexually solicited by someone who knows that your Child is under 18 years of age;
    • Your child has received sexually explicit images from someone that knows your child is under the age of 18.
    If one of these scenarios occurs, keep the computer turned off in order to preserve any evidence for future law enforcement use. You should not attempt to copy any of the images and/or text found on the computer, unless directed to do so by the law enforcement agency.
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My child has received an e-mail advertising a pornographic web site, what should I do?

Generally, advertising for an adult, pornographic web site that is sent to an e-mail address does not violate federal law, or the current laws of most states. In some states, it may be a violation of the law if the sender knows the recipient is under the age of 18. Such advertising can be reported to your service provider and, if known, the service provider of the originator. It can also be reported to your state and federal legislators, that that they can be made aware of the extent of the problem.

Do not reply to the sender and asked to be removed from their mailing list. Doing so will only confirm that your e-mail address is valid. Not only will the company continue to send you messages, they may sell your address to other companies who will do the same. To learn more about or report unsolicited e-mail, or spam, visit SpamCop.net.

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Is any Internet service safer than the others?

Sex offenders have contacted children via most of the major online services and the Internet. The most important factors in keeping your child safe online are the utilization of appropriate blocking software and/or parental controls, along with open, honest discussions with your child, monitoring his/her onilne activity and following our tips for parents. Click here for information on two cutting-edge filtering companies.

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Should I just forbid my child from going online?

There are dangers in every part of our society. By educating your children to these dangers and taking appropriate steps to protect them, they can benefit from the wealth of information now available online.

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