Sponsors

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children^® (NCMEC) believes that the Internet holds tremendous potential for our nation's youth, and urges parents and children to explore and take advantage of its incredible benefits. NCMEC has taken full advantage of the Internet's power through its web site, www.missingkids.com, which receives 2 million 'hits' per day, and has become the world's primary missing-child search tool.

In addition, NCMEC's CyberTipline provides online users an avenue for reporting incidents of child sexual exploitation. The CyberTipline form ensures that law enforcement will receive all pertinent information to conduct a thorough investigation. After review by NCMEC staff, the report is made available online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Customs Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and, when known, forwarded to the state and local law-enforcement agency where the incident occurred. Since its launch in 1998, the CyberTipline has received over 36,000 tips of child sexual exploitation.

Just as the Internet offers tremendous opportunities to children and youth, it holds significant perils as well. As reported in a survey titled Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation's Youth, published by NCMEC in June, 2000, one in five youth ages 10 to 17 who use the Internet regularly received a sexual solicitation over the Internet in one year. One in four had an unwanted exposure to pornography and one in seventeen were either threatened or harassed while online.

The NetSmartz Workshop was created to meet the growing need for education on Internet safety in an unprecedented way. Through online content, the NetSmartz Workshop will bring young children, teens, parents, and teachers new resources for learning about how to stay safer while enjoying the benefits of the Internet.