|
|
The US Department of Justice, headed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, announced this week it will launch a campaign aimed at educating teen girls about the dangers of online predators.
The campaign is a collaboration with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Ad Council to produce public service announcements (PSAs) to air early 2007.
Part of the DOJ's Project Safe Childhood (PSC), the ads will warn teenage girls that online predators are skilled at manipulating teens into potentially exploitative and dangerous situations. Teens are encouraged in the ads to visit cybertipline.com to learn how to protect themselves and to report incidents.
Specifically, the message centers on telling teen girls to protect themselves by not posting images or information that might put them at risk for online victimization.
This is the third such PSA initiative since a similar partnership launched the "Help Delete Online Predators" campaign in 2004, and the "Don't Believe the Type" campaign in 2005. Gonzales formed PSC in February 2006, to help law enforcement and community leaders develop a coordinated strategy to prevent, investigate and prosecute sexual predators, abusers and pornographers who target children.
"A recent survey shows a large increase in the proportion of youth posting personal information and pictures online so this is a timely campaign," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC.
The DOJ called the sexual victimization of children, which includes child pornography and enticement crimes, a "widespread problem." According to a DOJ study, one in seven child Internet users has received sexual solicitations, one in three has been exposed to unwanted sexual material and one in 11 has been harassed.
Also according to the study one in three child Internet users had communicated with someone that they did not know in person and one in nine formed close relationships with someone they met online.
The existence of online predators is a very real threat for children using the Internet," said Gonzales. "This ad campaign will raise awareness to help safeguard against sexual exploitation and abuse by encouraging children to protect their identities and images when socializing online."
In addition to the ad campaign the PSC initiative has allocated $13,850,000 in grants for the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program, a national network of 46 regional task forces. The ICAC's purpose is to integrate federal, state and local law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases.
The day after the DOJ announce the PSA campaign, the DOJ awarded $400,000 to the Kentucky State Police to continue funding of the Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.
In 2005, the Kentucky State Police ICAC task force investigated 313 complaints of child enticement, resulting in 22 arrests of individuals intent on meeting children for sexual encounters or who manufactured, traded, or possessed child pornography.
"As long as our children use the Internet, there will unfortunately be predators who seek to exploit them," said Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "Since their inception just eight years ago, our Internet Crimes Against Children task forces have made over 7,000 arrests."
Nationwide, between October 1, 2005, and June 30, 2006, the Justice Department-funded ICAC task forces have received over 13,800 complaints of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation, which includes the possession, distribution, and creation of child pornography, as well as attempts by individuals to lure and travel to meet children for sexual encounters.
Investigations initiated from complaints have led to over 1,400 arrests, forensic examinations of more than 6,600 computers, over 2,500 case referrals to non-ICAC law enforcement agencies, and the provision of training for more than 8,000 law enforcement officers and prosecutors.
About
the Author:
Jason is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He covers business, technology, and security issues.
|
|
,
Inc. 2549 Richmond Rd. Lexington KY, 40509
