Predators are rampant on the Internet, especially at places where teens gather, like myspace.com, xanga.com, and other similar sites.

What can you do to protect yourself and your children?

First, you need to monitor what your kids are doing online. No kids, no teenagers, should have free reign and free access to the Internet. That is our job as teachers and parents, to help protect and teach our children. That includes monitoring their Internet activity.

If your child were playing with knives or matches, would you not step in and provide guidance?

Okay, so beyond looking at what your kids are doing, make sure they are NOT including the following on their myspace.com (or any other similar) account:
1. NO mention of last names or parents' names.
2. NO mention of city or state or school names.
3. No birth dates, addresses, and other obvious "giveaway" information.

In addition, there is software you can use to monitor everything your child is doing so you don't have to sit over their shoulder. One place to find such software is www.spectorsoft.com

Don't be afraid to step in and check out what your kids are doing. It's far better to have an angry teenager than a dead or missing one. Protect your kids, it's your job.