Use street smarts on Web

Not only are convicted sex offenders trawling social introduction sites, information recently turned over to law enforcement officials in numerous states shows that these offenders also are establishing profiles.

In Connecticut, more than half of 210 sex offenders who used MySpace are on parole. Such conduct violates their parole agreements and could mean returning to prison. Utah has similar requirements. Meanwhile, Kentucky authorities have identified 22 sex offenders who are using the Web site MySpace. Those sex offenders do not include 68 other convicted sex offenders from that state whom My-Space identified and provided to law enforcement.

This is just more evidence of the dangers that lurk online. Tweens and teens who use social introduction Web sites need to understand that some people who visit these sites do so for inappropriate purposes. Often, people online are not who they say they are.

These recent developments should be a wake-up call to parents to monitor their children's Internet use; to place computers with Internet connections in public areas of their homes; and to instruct children never to reveal personal information on-line that may place them in peril or risk identity theft.

The sad reality is most teens have far more knowledge of how to use computer technology than do their parents. But that does not absolve parents from learning about these issues. Web sites such as www.Netsmartz411.org teach parents how to search for their children's profiles on social-introduction Web sites. Then parents need to have frank discussions with their children about appropriate Internet use.

If a known sex offender resided in one's neighborhood, dutiful parents would instruct their children how to protect themselves. On the Internet, there is no way for the average user to discern if other users are who they represent themselves to be. This relative anonymity allows predators to establish trust with other Internet users. It's hardly surprising that convicted sex offenders, under the cloak of a screen name, would use these sites.

Some social-introduction Web sites have privacy settings to restrict access to profiles or blogs. This is not foolproof because friends tend to link their sites. Perhaps the best rule of thumb is to teach teens and tweens not to accept people as online friends unless they are known to them in real life.

Some social introduction Web sites are purging profiles of sex offenders, which should provide some protection. MySpace, for instance, has removed the profiles of 7,000 sex offenders in the first two weeks of May and has removed more since, according to a USA Today report.

But no one should be lulled into believing the Internet is without risks.