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These FAQ’s will help you
learn more about ChildSafeNet, as well as address
some key child safety issues. If you have other questions,
please email us at info@childsafenet.org.
We will reply to your question promptly.
1.
What exactly is ChildSafeNet? What do you do?
2.
What is the “P’CASO Partnership Program”?
3. Why is the P’CASO
Program needed?
4. I’ve heard
there is a “Sex Offender Registry”. What is
it? How can it help me and my community?
5. What do I do if
my child receives a sexual solicitation, is harassed,
or gets child pornography over the Internet?
6. How can I schedule
a ChildSafeNet Child Safety Program in my community
or at my workplace?
7. I’m ready
to learn more! What steps can I take to keep my kids safer
when they are on the Internet and out and about in the
community?
8. Should I take
steps to try to make sure the people who work around my
home and otherwise interact with my kids are “OK”?
9.
What are the most important tools a parent can have on
hand to assist in finding a lost child?
10. I’d like
to help! How can I support ChildSafeNet and the
P’CASO Program?
1.
What exactly is ChildSafeNet? What do you do?
ChildSafeNet
is a non-profit charitable organization that represents
a unique public/private partnership with local law enforcement
officials. We have three major objectives:
- To increase the capacity of
local law enforcement to detect, apprehend and prosecute
child sexual predators who use the Internet to establish
contact with their victims and attempt to lure them
to meetings in the open community;
- To increase the capacity of
local law enforcement to effectively monitor convicted
sex offenders when they are released back into our communities,
and;
- To increase public awareness
of child safety issues by delivering quality educational
programs for adults and children right in the neighborhoods
where they live.
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2. What
is the “P’CASO Partnership Program”?
P’CASO (Protecting Children Against Sex Offenders)
is ChildSafeNet ’s signature program. Its
goals are to increase the capacity of local law enforcement
to detect and apprehend child sexual predators operating
on the Internet and in the open community, and to effectively
monitor convicted offenders who are released back into
the community. In its operational phase P’CASO is
a law enforcement program. ChildSafeNet’s
first public partner is the nationally acclaimed Fairfax
County Police Department in Virginia. Once launched with
resources provided by ChildSafeNet, P’CASO
will become a publicly funded law enforcement program.
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3.
Why is the P’CASO Program needed?
To cite just one example of the magnitude of the problem,
in fall 2004 Virginia State Police reported 12,820 registered
sex offenders statewide. 10,627 of these offenders were
classified as violent. (These figures represent only known
offenders.) There are many sources for statistics and
information on sexual abuse of children. For more information
you may wish to start by visiting the National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children website at www.missingkids.com
and the Childhelp USA website at www.childhelpusa.org/virginia/.
The events of September 11, 2001
have placed ever greater demands on all law enforcement
agencies. Because of the anonymity it provides, the Internet
continues to grow as a pathway of choice for sexual predators
seeking to establish contact with youngsters. Hardly a
week goes by without news that another child has been
molested or worse after being lured into a face-to-face
meeting with someone they met over the Internet. Because
of the increased demands on law enforcement agencies everywhere,
it is up to concerned citizens to assist in making sure
child safety remains a high community priority. Cornerstones
of ChildSafeNet’s mission are the beliefs
that education is the best prevention, and that child
sexual predation is most effectively addressed at the
local level through a partnership between law enforcement
and an informed community.
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4.
I’ve heard there is a “Sex Offender Registry”.
What is it? How can it help me and my community?
Legal requirements mandating that states register convicted
sex offenders originated in the
1994 Federal Omnibus Crime Bill. To learn more about the
case that sparked this legislation
visit www.jwf.org. The law was modified several times
during the 1990’s, culminating in the
formation of what we know today as Megan’s
Law. For more on the Megan Nicole Kanka
story visit www.megannicolekankafoundation.org.
Megan’s Law established two important
requirements:
- That states register offenders
convicted of sex crimes against children, and;
- That states establish criteria
for disclosure and make private and personal information
on registered child sex offenders available to the public
(Community Notification).
To see the forms of Community
Notification your state provides visit http://www.meganslaw-net.
* Sex Offender Registry
information is only as valid as the information provided
by offenders themselves. Registries include only known,
convicted offenders.
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5.
What do I do if my child receives a sexual solicitation,
is harassed, or gets child pornography over the Internet?
Report these crimes as follows:
- To your local Police authority
- Online at NCMEC’s
worldwide CyberTipLine, www.cybertipline.com
- Or call NCMEC
toll free at 1-800-843-5678
- Call NCMEC locally
in Northern Virginia at 703-274-3900
- Outside the U.S.
call NCMEC at 001-703-522-9320
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6. How
can I schedule a ChildSafeNet Child Safety Program
in my community or at my workplace?
Call ChildSafeNet at (703)
768-9477, or email us at info@ChildSafeNet.org.
“Adults Only” and “Kids Only”
programs are currently offered to organizations, business
and corporate employees and private groups in Fairfax
County, Virginia.
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7.
I’m ready to learn more! What steps can I take to
keep my kids safer when they are on the Internet and out
and about in the community?
You have asked two key questions. Let’s take the
Internet first.
Two things especially set kids up for trouble
on the Internet:
- The first is their mistaken
impression that they are anonymous when online,
and that no one will be able to “find them”
when they give out information about themselves;
- The second is their assumption
that the people with whom they are conversing on the
Internet are who they say they are.
Taken together, these two erroneous
beliefs set our children up for potentially dangerous
situations. Many helpful resources are available. Try
visiting www.NetSmartz.org
for a wealth of good ideas on Internet safety and three
levels of age-appropriate programs:
- NetSmartz Kids for 5-12 year
olds
- NetSmartz Teens for 12 and
older
- NetSmartz Parents and Educators
Now for your second question.
Once again, there are many sources of good information.
Visit the www.missingkids.com
home page and go to Safety Resources to access the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s library
of information.
In addition, one of the most empowering
things you can do is enroll your child in a self defense
class. One organization offering such classes is “r.a.d.KIDS”
(Resisting Aggression Defensively). r.a.d.KIDS is a kid-fun
and friendly organization that teaches kids the knowledge
and skills they need to protect themselves and avoid trouble
in the open community. In Northern Virginia contact r.a.dKIDS
Instructors Lynn Rafferty or Terra Cooke at 703-508-1365.
You may also contact www.nvaradkids.com.
Additionally, women (and girls
ages 12-18 when accompanied by a guardian) can participate
in free “S.A.F.E.”(Sexual Assault Free and
Empowered) classes taught by the Fairfax County Police.
Call 703.246.7806 to learn more about the S.A.F.E. program.
Most communities have personal safety programs available.
Contact your local police for resources in your community.
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8.
Should I take steps to try to make sure the people who
work around my home and otherwise interact with my kids
are “OK”?
Absolutely. You have every right to ask for and check
references before letting anyone into your home or allowing
them to come into contact with your family. And thorough
background checks on persons who care for your children
or will be in and around your home are essential. United
States Homeland Investigations Inc., a community partner
with ChildSafeNet, can discuss security measures
with you. They may be contacted via a link from our website
home page or by visiting: http://www.ushii.com/.
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9.
What are the most important tools a parent can have on
hand to assist in locating a lost child?
That is a good question, and fortunately the
answer makes it simple for parents to safeguard their
kids. Good communication and setting appropriate ground
rules for your kids is a must. And always keep current,
up-to-date photographs of your children on hand. Also,
know the names of your child’s friends, their families
and all pertinent contact information for people with
whom they associate.
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10.
I’d like to help! How can I support ChildSafeNet
and the P’CASO Program?
Thank you for asking. Your help will certainly be appreciated!
In addition to learning all you can and promoting child
safety in your neighborhood and throughout the community,
you can also help by making a charitable contribution
to ChildSafeNet. Just go to our “How
You Can Help” page and you will find that giving
is easy. Every donation, large and small, is needed and
much-appreciated.
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