Imagine the internet lurking with predators lying in wait to prey on your innocent child. Now, wouldn’t that thought bring any parent into a state of fearful panic?

Unfortunately, this thought is not made-up imagination. It is a very real fact. The FBI reports that almost everyday children get victimized by cyber predators. Here are some hard facts:

• 75% of children have voluntarily shared personal information online about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services.

• Victims of online child predators have come from these target groups:
- 77% from ages 14 or older
- 22% from ages 10 to 13

• One in five U.S. teenagers who log on to the internet in a regular basis admitted that they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation from people they don’t know online.

The internet has become a second world to us. It is almost impossible not to use the internet when every part of our lifestyle is connected to it and has some need of it. Let’s face it, we cannot prevent our children from using the computer. That is not the solution for your kids’ safety on the internet. If parents are to keep their children safe online, they need to be responsible enough to educate themselves and their children about the reality of cyber dangers and take the necessary steps to exercise the proper parental controls without delay.