• BOSTON - Two men have been arrested on allegations they had illegal sexual contact with minors they met through MySpace.com, a popular virtual hangout for children and teenagers, officials in Connecticut said on Thursday.
• COSTA MESA, Calif. - A middle school student faces expulsion for allegedly posting graphic threats against a classmate on the popular MySpace.com Web site, and 20 of his classmates were suspended for viewing the posting, school officials said.
• "The girls are all made up to look seductive....Parents have no clue this is going on," she said.  "You think your kid is safe because they are in your house in their own bedroom. Who can hurt them when you are guarding the front door? But (the Internet) is a bigger opening than the front door."
• Media Center at Georgetown University revealed that kids volunteer far too much information. Two-thirds provide their age and at least their first name; 60 percent offer their location and contact information. One in five offer up their full name.

If these statements scare you, you should at least go to MySpace.com and find out about it and what is out there.  Below is a quick guide on Searching the site and finding out what is out there.  This would be a great exercise to do with your child.  There are many wonderful tools on the internet to help you talk to your child about blogging and MySpace.  Go search and talk to your kids, it may be the only safety discussion they get regarding the internet. 

From Dateline-Rob Stafford Report

• From your profile you can search for any MySpace profile by clicking on the blue "Search" tab, the third of the choices across the top of the page. There are several ways to search for and find a MySpace user.

• The easiest way to find someone is to search for their e-mail address in the "Find a Friend" search field (click on the e-mail option).

• If this doesn't work, or you don't know their e-mail, you can try entering the person’s name into the search field.

• You can also search for a person through their school by using the "Find a Classmate" search field.

• You can also search by "zip code."

• You can also find people through their friends.  MySpace users link to each other's profiles.

Internet Safety: Building Walls and Building Character

The Internet provides both tremendous opportunities and challenges for families today. Children can now easily find information on anything imaginable. Extended families separated by distance can close the gap by using the Internet to swap pictures and e-mail. However, the Internet is not without its problems, and your discernment will be required to get the best out of it for your family.

As an unregulated medium, the Internet delivers illegal and undesirable material right into the home. Even families with no Internet service in their homes are affected by access in schools, libraries and friend's homes. The good news is that new technology and resources are available to help parents build walls of safety and protection around their family's Internet use. The bad news, however, is that those walls disappear as children leave the home and use the Internet in other places. For that reason, parents should also build character in their children so they can have an "internal" filter to guide their online activities everywhere they go.

Safety Beyond Technology

When it comes to managing Internet use in your family, there is no "silver bullet" solution. You can't simply install a piece of technology and trust that everything will be okay. Good Internet management requires a combination of "building walls" and "building character."

• Keep the computer in a public area, like the family room or kitchen.

• Show your children what to do if they accidentally stumble onto a bad site.

• Set up ground rules for use of the computer and stick to them. Let your children know the consequences that will follow misuse, then follow through if necessary.

• Consider using filtering software that keeps a log of all the sites your family visits.

• Don't use the computer as a baby-sitter. Set time limits on Internet usage and discourage late-night use.

• Don't talk to strangers; it's a rule that's as true on the Internet as it is on the streets. The Internet hides the true identity of users, so there's no way to know if people are who they say they are.

• Guard your family's privacy by never giving out your name, address or telephone number.

• Don't allow your children to reveal too much about themselves in the "personal profile" sections that some Internet companies provide. Pedophiles prey on this information.

• Supervise your child's chat room activity. Pedophiles are lurking in chat rooms, especially where children gather.

• Check the Internet history files regularly, and perhaps even read e-mail if you have reason to suspect a problem.

• Help your children set up "bookmarks" to enable easy access to positive, fun and educational sites.

Building Character

• While it is important to safeguard your computer with filtering software, it is also important to safeguard your loved one's minds. Spend time with your children on the Internet and teach them to be discerning by talking to them about the good and bad information on the Internet.
• Establish your purpose for Internet use-discuss how the Internet should be used in your home and how its use will be balanced with other activities.
• Maintain an atmosphere of open communication that invites your children to tell you about unfavorable sites they've come across.
• Set a good example by steering clear of pornography, gambling, romance and other online vices yourself.
• Help your children develop the kind of character that gives them an "internal" filter so they can make good decisions about Internet use away from home.
• Shower your children with love and affirmation. Recent studies indicate that teens who strike up online relationships are looking for love and affirmation that they are not finding at home.

Set a time to sit and discuss these issues with your children.  Make sure you have their undivided attention and set clear rules and consequences for internet behavior.