Computer technology is ingrained in the social and academic lives of girls of the "Cyber Generation." However, the dangers of the Internet aren't.

It is our goal at Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council to raise awareness about the need for cyber safety and share resources with girls, families, and the community.

The facts are based on research of girls, but the resources are not gender-specific.

• Thirty percent of girls who have gone into public chat rooms have been sexually harassed online, but only 7 percent of those girls say they told their mother or father about the incident immediately.
   
• Girls say they can do many inappropriate things online. 86% of the online survey respondents said they could enter a char room without their parents' knowledge, and 54% said they could carry on a cyber affair. It is important to note that girls rarely reported entering into cyber romances.
   
• Most girls try to avoid pornographic sites, calling them "disturbing," but say they are frequently spammed or end up on these sites accidentally.
  
  
• Almost one-quarter of teens have fewer than three adults they can go to if they are in trouble or need help.
  
  
• Twenty-six percent of girls ages 8-17 are concerned about being kidnapped.
  
  
• Twenty-four percent of girls ages 8-17 are afraid of being forced to do something sexual.
  
  
• Girls are aware of the dangers, but want proactive involvement by parents and adults.

Sources: The Net Effect: Girls and the New Media, Girl Scout Research Institute, 2002, Feeling Safe: What Girls Say, Girl Scout Research Institute, 2003

View The Net Effect: Girls and the New Media

• Gives girls opportunities to develop proactive social skills
  
• Allows investigation of topics for school
  
• Source for information that she maybe too embarrassed to ask for face-to-face.

Girls want parents and adults to fully understand their online lives. However, girls sometimes rely too much on their own judgment in making decisions about how to behave online. Girls are aware of the varied dangers of the Internet, but want more proactive involvement rather than prohibitive don’ts from parents. All reap many positive and safe benefits from Internet usage, as it allows girls to build social self-confidence and express intense emotions they may not otherwise share.

When empowered with knowledge and given pertinent advice, girls can successfully navigate both positive and negative experiences on online.
 

Talk to her about safety rules for using the Internet. Her common sense is probably very different from yours. Discuss with her what her online rules should be such as how much time she can spend online, what kinds of sites she can visit, etc. Consider her input seriously. Know what she is doing online such as what sites is she visiting or does she go into public chat rooms? Familiarize yourself with the Internet. Maintain an open dialogue with her about her Internet use. Be willing to compromise, but make sure she understands your concerns are for her safety. Encourage her to teach you some new Internet-related skills -- opening a door to communication. Without becoming overly judgmental, help her solve problems she encounters online. Make sure she knows she can come to you with those problems. Prepare your daughter for the kinds of uncomfortable experiences she might have online, without making her feel that the Internet is a totally frightening place. Find out what her friends are doing online so you know what her Internet social reality is all about.

Traveling through cyberspace can be fun, but like any trip you take you have to "Be Prepared" for unforeseen things. So, read this before you go any further. Then print this page out and discuss it with your parent or guardian. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents'/guardians' work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents'/guardians' permission. I will tell an adult right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable. I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents/guardians. If my parents/guardians agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my parent or guardian along. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents/guardians. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents /guardians right away so that they can contact the online service. I will talk with my parents/guardians so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

Know the language of IM and chatrooms? Get the lingo thanks to Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

NetSmartz workshop is an interactive, educational safety resource that teaches kids and teens how to stay safer on the Internet.

Online Safety Pledge by Age. Click Here.

If you suspect online "stalking" or sexual exploitation of a child, report it to your local law-enforcement agency. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has a system for identifying online predators and child pornographer and contributing to law-enforcement investigations. It's called the CyberTipline^®. Leads forwarded to the site will be acknowledged and shared with the appropriate law-enforcement agency for investigation.

• FBI
  
• Department of Justice