Internet Sexual Solicitation

Dr. Greene’s take on Internet sexual solicitation…

Talk with your children. Many children who use the Internet are the targets of unwanted sexual advances. According to a study published in the June 20, 2001 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, within that last year, 19% of the more than 1500 children surveyed had been solicited over the Internet for sex.

The children surveyed ranged from 10 to 17 years of age.

The Internet is a wonderful tool for communication, but as parents we need to warn our children of the dangers of communicating with strangers — online as well as off. Counsel them never to provide information that a stranger could use to track them down. Stay in touch with your children about their experiences as they grow up as part of an Internet generation.