Children to learn Internet safety

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

It starts with innocent conversation in an online chat room.

Do you play sports?

What are your team's colors?

What's the surf like near your house?

Slowly but steadily, a child can reveal information that narrows down where they live: the black-and-white uniforms that give away which local soccer team they play for, the surf conditions that give away which beach they frequent.

Then, the ultimate questions:

Are you alone?

Do you want to meet?

Police and other experts say that children often provide more information than they realize in chat room conversations, often to adults posing as teenagers.

To combat the rising number of assaults that occur after children meet adults online, a national Internet safety program will come to Hawai'i schools in October.

The goal is to empower kids with knowledge on how to act responsibly and be safe online. It also teaches children to recognize some of the techniques predators use so they know when to tell their parents, teachers or the police that something seems wrong.

The I-SAFE America Foundation, a nonprofit group based in San Diego, will bring an Internet safety curriculum to Hawai'i public and private schools. It's a partnership among I-SAFE, law enforcement and the schools, said I-SAFE President Teri Schroeder.

"We say to parents, 'It's midnight; where's your kid at?' Parents say, 'They're in their room on the computer.' But your kid has traveled thousands of miles. And with who? Do you know?"

Nationwide and in Hawai'i, police have seen more reports of adults contacting children over the Internet.

"In recent months there's a definite rise in the reporting of children being assaulted by suspects they met online," Honolulu Police Department detective Chris Duque. "Our kids are being victimized."

It's hard for police to know if the increased reporting means predators are having more success in contacting children, or if children are more willing to tell family members, teachers or police when someone starts to ask suspicious questions or requests face-to-face meetings.

"A least people are calling in," Duque said. "There's a reluctance of the kids to report it. The parents might say, 'OK, no more computer.' There's also the stigma of meeting somebody online. People will say that it's stupid. Kids get peer pressured and embarrassed."

The I-SAFE curriculum and workbooks are free to schools. The program trains teachers in Internet safety so they can pass the skills onto their students.

I-SAFE America is in its fifth year and has received financing from Congress — $3.5 million this year and $5 million next year — to roll out its program nationwide.

The safety program here will target children in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades because that's when children start to gain independence from their parents, Schroeder said.

Schroeder said the Internet provides a way for adults and children to communicate in ways that wouldn't be possible in normal social settings.

"We decided to empower the children with knowledge and enhance their critical thinking skills," Schroeder said. "As much as we as parents like to say, 'It will never happen to me,' kids are mixing among adults, seniors and other kids in a demographic, geographic way that we've never before seen in this country."

Duque said predators usually pass themselves off as children or teens, and ask questions about sports, favorite teams, school colors or surf conditions that seem innocent, but can slowly narrow down where a child lives and attends school. Predators try to form a common bond with children by saying that they have similar interests.

Police believe a Honolulu firefighter charged in July with sexually assaulting two Kailua girls contacted at least one of them initially through an Internet chat room.

Last September, a Kalihi man was arrested on federal charges for using the Internet to lure a 14-year-old Oregon girl to Hawai'i in hopes of having sex with her. Lando Millare, 31, who posed as a 17-year-old boy, was sentenced in March to three years in prison in that case.

Duque said parents should monitor their child's computer use, keep computers in the family room instead of bedrooms and be very wary of anyone requesting to meet their child in person.

I-SAFE has been in Hawai'i the past few weeks filming promotional material for the campaign. More information on Internet safety can be found at their Web site.

With Internet access common in most homes and schools, Schroeder said the issue of child safety needs to be addressed.

"Today, kids are Internet citizens for the rest of their lives," Schroeder said. "Schools are giving access to the Internet highway. Parents drop their kids off at school and think that the gates are locked. They're not."

Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.