Murkowski Resolution Highlighting Need for Internet Safety Education Passes Senate

MURKOWSKI RESOLUTION HIGHLIGHTING NEED FOR INTERNET SAFETY EDUCATION PASSES SENATE

The United States Senate last evening passed a resolution sponsored by Senator Lisa Murkowski which designates June 2006 as National Internet Safety Month. The bipartisan resolution is designed to bring greater attention to the need for comprehensive Internet safety education.

"It is imperative that all Americans learn about the Internet safety strategies which will keep their children safe from victimization," said Senator Murkowski. "Now is the time for America to focus its attention on supporting Internet safety, especially bearing in mind that children will soon be on summer vacation and will subsequently spend more time online."

In the United States, about 90 percent of children between the ages of five and 17 use computers and about 59 percent use the Internet. Approximately 26 percent of children in that age group are online for more than five hours a week and 12 percent spend more time online than they do with their friends. Research has found that 39 percent of youths in grades five through 12 in the United States admit giving out their personal information, such as their name, age, and gender over the Internet. Furthermore, 11.5 percent of students in this age group have actually met face to face with a stranger they met on the Internet. At the same time, the FBI is reporting a startling increasing in Internet crimes against children. In 1996, the Bureau was involved in 113 cases involving Internet crimes against children. In 2001, the FBI opened 1,541 cases against people suspected of using the Internet to commit crimes involving child pornography or abuse.

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=256008