Florida Commission on Status of Women Releases Annual Report on Internet Safety

Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Tuesday the release of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women's Sixteenth Annual Report. The report, titled "Smart Surfing: A Resource Guide for Internet Safety," was created to raise awareness about the need for women to have the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and their families from many types of computer crimes. The report features information from the Attorney General's CyberCrime Unit and CyberSafety presentations and will serve as a resource on Internet safety for Florida's women.

"Internet safety is one of the most important topics our women could become well-versed in as they seek to protect their children and families," said Attorney General McCollum. "I commend the Commission for their attention to this topic and encourage each and every woman in this state to pay close attention to this essential issue."

The Commission is charged by Florida law to study the changing and developing roles of women in American society, including the implementation of recommendations to improve the development of individual potential. As the focus of the Commission's mission is to empower women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, the topic of Internet safety is essential to today's women as they endeavor to protect themselves, their children and their families from the potential dangers on the Internet.

"We sincerely hope that this report will help educate the women of Florida on how best to protect themselves and their families from crimes committed by computer," said Norma S. White, L.H.D., Chair of the Commission. "The Commission commends Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's leadership in the legal fight against child pornography and the Internet solicitation of children. The report was written as yet another step forward in these ongoing efforts to keep our children safe as they explore the Internet and use today's technologies."

In addition to information from the Attorney General's CyberCrime Unit and CyberSafety presentations, the report also features material from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and numerous other sources dedicated to preventing Internet crimes against children. Topics include the CyberCrimes Against Children Act of 2007 and its impact on Florida; tactics and strategies used by Internet predators to target children; the "grooming" process, through which Internet predators break down their victims' inhibitions by lying to them; warning signs that children may be at risk online; a guide to commonly used chat abbreviations; and cyberstalking and online harassment.