Portsmouth Student to Serve as Hampton Roads Delegate at Cox Internet Safety SummitTM in Washington, D.C. July 22
Children’s Advocate John Walsh and Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson will Lead in a Discussion About the Internet and How Parents Can More Effectively Influence Safer Behaviors
Hampton Roads, VA – For the fourth year in a row, Cox Communications, in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and TV host and children's advocate John Walsh are presenting original research on the behavior of young people online. Together, the organizations are working to help parents and guardians understand the potential dangers of the Internet.
Tanaya McLemore, 14, a rising freshman at Sweethaven Christian Academy in Portsmouth is one of many students nationwide who will discuss the findings from the research at the Cox Internet Safety Summit to be held in Washington, D.C. on July 22. McLemore is a writer for the Virginian Pilot’s 757 section, and has appeared on the Cox Channel 11 program Plugged In.
This year, the study and discussion extends to the tween population, children between the ages of eight and twelve years old. Walsh and 2007 Miss America Lauren Nelson will lead the tween and teen participants in a discussion focused on ways parents and guardians can help children be safer online. Participating students will deliver the news from the research and Summit directly to Capitol Hill in meetings with members of Congress on July 23rd.
“It’s important to make our children aware of the educational opportunities and the potential dangers on the Internet,” said Gary McCollum, Senior Vice President and Region Manager of Cox Hampton Roads. “Cox takes Internet safety very seriously, and is committed to educating parents and children about the Internet. This Cox summit is a great opportunity to learn about the things children are experiencing online, and to share the ways we can help them use the Web safely.”
Today, Cox released a fraction of the research findings that will be discussed at the Cox Internet Safety Summit:
Ninety percent of tweens are online by age nine.
Seventy-three percent of tweens report that Mom and Dad have talked to them “a lot” about Internet safety.
Ninety-six percent of tweens tell Mom and Dad about at least some of what they do online; seventy-nine percent tell parents everything.
Of tweens who tell someone when they receive online messages from unknown senders, the vast majority reach out to Mom (ninety-one percent).
“It’s encouraging to see that so many parents are making it a priority to talk to their children about their use of the Internet,” said Walsh. “However, the research also reveals points of concern for parents and guardians regarding the drop-off in the likelihood of their youngsters to continue the in-depth dialogue as they mature, as well tween communications with anonymous contacts they receive while online. I look forward to talking with teens and tweens about this in Washington, D.C. on July 22nd.”
Complete findings from the Cox Tween Internet Safety SurveyTM, including the points that concern Cox and its partners, will be made available at a press briefing on July 22nd, when Cox, the NCMEC, Walsh, host of “America’s Most Wanted,” and Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson convene the third annual Cox Communications National Summit on Internet SafetyTM.
Also, Walsh and Nelson will also discuss the research and implications for families live in local broadcast television and radio interviews on July 23rd, and the will also will be available via Web cast 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. EDT to answer questions about Internet safety and discuss the teen survey in greater detail. View the Web cast.
More information on the participating students from Cox communities, Cox’s historical research on teen Internet safety, and multimedia files are available at www.safeteensonline.com. The site will be updated with the complete findings from the Cox Tween Internet Safety SurveyTM at the conclusion of the press conference.
About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com. In Hampton Roads, Cox has more than 400,000 basic cable subscribers.
About Cox Communications’ Take Charge
Cox’s research on teen Internet safety from the last three years, online safety tools and tips, and links to NCMEC and other sources are available at www.cox.com/TakeCharge. Cox's Take Charge program was launched in 2004 to educate parents and guardians about the importance of Internet safety and to help families get the most out of mass media in the home. It provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage what their children see, and don't see, on TV and the Internet—from instructions on setting parental controls, to a guide to the lingo teens use online, to tips for more constructive conversations between parents and kids. Teaching young children and teens how to stay safer online is a major element of the Take Charge program, thanks in part to Cox's partnership with NetSmartz.com, collaboration between NCMEC and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Cox has donated nearly $30 million worth of advertising time to NetSmartz and NCMEC to encourage safer online behavior among children. Cox’s Take Charge site will be updated with the complete 2008 tween research findings at the conclusion of the summit.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children’s hotline which has handled more than 2.2 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 126,000 children. The organization’s CyberTipline has handled more than 594,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification program has analyzed 14,437,865 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.
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