Keeping kids safe

New Internet technologies are emerging every day. While these technologies provide new learning opportunities and new ways to explore the digital world, they can also pose a dangerous threat to our children.
As an advocate for the safety of Florida's children both on and offline, I applaud the Florida Legislature for the passage of CS/HB115, which will provide online safety education to adults and children in our community libraries.
It is encouraging to know that our elected officials and communities are invested in ensuring that adults and children understand the dangers of online predators. The Safety Education Program enacted by this new law will include a computer-based educational course that has been approved by either a government law enforcement agency or a public safety advocacy group. This program will teach parents and children about tactics used by online predators and the best ways to protect kids against these threats.
This piece of legislation is a great achievement for the state of Florida and directly relates to what organizations such as Stop Child Predators hope to accomplish. Ensuring children's safety is of the utmost importance, and when elected officials, community members and parents work together, we can succeed in keeping our kids safe online.
Stacie Rumenap,
executive director,
Stop Child Predators
Washington, D.C.