I just read an article about a study released earlier this week that concludes that the actual threat to kids from online sexual predators has been overstated.

This study does help to focus on the realities of online safety - but there is no disputing that kids and their parents need to be aware of the range of potential safety issues and how to address them.

The study, "Online 'Predators' and Their Victims:  Myths, Realities and Implications for Prevention" was conducted by the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center.  The study concludes that kids using social networking sites don't have an increased risk of being stalked or threatened by sexual predators.  The study reveals that sex offenders may find vulnerable youth online - but they are kids that often have histories of sexual or physical abuse, family problems and generally are willing to take risks - both online and offline.  Predators communicate with their potential victims in online chatrooms, rather than social networking sites, building a relationship with their "victim" over a period of time.

The study's findings are instructive to learn how to educate parents and kids about the greatest risks online.  I think it's also important to remember that some of the issues kids deal with online may not be as extreme as meeting a potential sexual predator, but they can also create serious problems.  The other risks to kids online include cyber bullying, sending or receiving inappropriate messages, loss of privacy, etc.  Parents need to be aware of the complete range of online security issues - and then take the necessary steps to keep them safe.

The study will be published in the February/March issue of the American Psychologist (American Psychological Association publication).  Here's a link to the article about the study:

www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080219/NEWS02/976106054