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The Internet can provide a vast amount of knowledge. It can also offer danger; especially when it comes to children.
To combat the threats that lurk online, threats like child predators, five Utah school districts are launching a Web safety program for kids called Web Wise.
According to the Department of Justice, 16 percent of teenagers surveyed said they considered meeting someone they've talked to online.
The problem with that is some of those people they're chatting with could very well be child predators.
A new game is targeted at helping kids work their way through the World Wide Web safely. Seventy-five Utah schools will have this game on hand for kids to play.
It offers real story lines from actual crimes, and it helps kids navigate how they can get out of dangerous situations online.
One game is called "Missing." In it, you're looking for a teen named Zak who has been abducted. For parents, there are some disturbing scenes--like pictures of abused kids, and a scene where the predator gags Zak with duct tape.
"It is a little scary. It's an edgier. It's for teens, and teens can handle an edgier game," explained Esther Crookston with Web Wise Kids. She says another game is aimed at boys, and another is aimed at girls.
The state attorney general, along with legislators and educators, met today to announce the launch of the program. "After all of this time and after all of the news stories you've done on the fact that are police officers are online. Predators know this, child pornographers know this, and yet we're not seeing the decline in arrests we've expected," said Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.
And here's the reason: Experts say the most common tactic sexual predators take to contact children is through the Internet; especially in Internet chat rooms.
In fact, according to the Journal of American Medical Association, 89 percent of sexual solicitations were made either through chat rooms or instant message.
The goal is to get these kids playing the games, which can help them recognize and tell their parents when they could be in danger.
Paul Murphy, spokesman for the attorney general's office, says it shouldn't take long for more of Utah's schools to sign on. "The proof is in the pudding. They're gonna want to see what these video games look like, to see how they work and why kids will really be impressed by them," he said.
For more information on the Web Wise program, go to the related link.
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