Children's Advocate John Walsh and Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, will Lead Tweens in a Discussion About the Internet and How Parents Can More Effectively Influence Safer Behaviors ATLANTA, July 14
ATLANTA, July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, in
partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R)
(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 and how they can help keep their kids safer online. This year,
the study and discussion extends to the "tween" population, children between
the ages of eight and twelve years-old. Today, the organizations released a
fraction of the research findings, some of which were encouraging:
-- 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)
-- Ninety percent of tweens are online by age nine
"It's really great to see that so many parents are making it a priority to
talk to their children about their use of the Internet," said John Walsh.
"However, the research also tells us that there's a drop-off in the likelihood
of young people to continue to speak openly with their parents and guardians
about their Internet use as they mature. This is of particular concern since
tweens often communicate with anonymous contacts with whom they interact while
online. The tween summit in Washington, D.C. on July 22nd will be a great
opportunity for me and Lauren Nelson to discuss this important issue with all
of the participants - and the media," he said.
Complete findings from the Cox Tween Internet Safety Survey(TM) will be
made available at a press briefing on July 22nd, when Cox, NCMEC, Walsh, host
of "America's Most Wanted," and Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, convene for
the third annual Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety:
WHAT: Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety
WHEN: Tuesday, July 22, 2008,
-- Tween Summit at 9:00 a.m.
-- Press Conference at 10:45 a.m.
WHERE: National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20045
At the summit, Walsh and Nelson will lead tween and teen participants in a
discussion of Internet safety and ways parents, guardians and teen mentors can
help children be safer online. Full results from the research and the
discussion at the summit will be presented immediately following the summit,
and the tweens will deliver the news directly to Capitol Hill in meetings with
members of Congress on July 23rd.
Walsh and Nelson will also be available on July 23rd to answer questions
about Internet safety and discuss the tween survey in greater detail in local
broadcast television and radio interviews between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
EDT, and via Web cast between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. EDT. To view the Web cast,
go to http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=49596®d=n.
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.
About Cox's Take Charge Initiative:
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 the NetSmartz(R) Workshop, NCMEC's Internet safety resource
available at www.NetSmartz.org. Cox has donated more than $30 million worth of
advertising time to NetSmartz and NCMEC to encourage safer online behavior
among children. More information on Take Charge! is available at
www.Cox.com/TakeCharge.
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.
SOURCE Cox Communications
