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The rest, unfortunately, are still behind computers, said Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager.
Child predators no longer only prowl dark street corners and alleys, but lurk in the nonexistent boundaries of cyberspace.
Lautenschlager on Monday morning helped open the Building a Multi-Disciplinary Response Team to Prevent Crimes Against Children in Indian Country conference at the Stoney Creek Inn in Onalaska.
This first-ever conference — a joint effort by Wisconsin and Minnesota law enforcement agencies, educators and social service groups — included presentations on how to prevent Internet crimes, drug-endangered children and abductions.
Because the Internet still is unfamiliar to some parents and senior members of law enforcement, the Wisconsin Department of Justice department works to educate residents on the risks of cyberspace, Lautenschlager said.
She said most parents face a careful balancing act of showing trust in their children while having concerns about the dangers on the Internet.
She advises parents to talk frequently with their children, so the family can discuss Internet activity, and children won’t come to rely on the Internet as their only outlet to express their emotions — which can make them vulnerable to online predators.
Lautenschlager also recommends moving computers from children’s bedrooms or basements into a common family area.
Parents should be concerned if a child or teen consistently closes Internet screens when an adult enters the room. It doesn’t hurt for parents to scan through their children’s or teenagers’ online journal sites, such as www.myspace.com and www.zanga.com, to monitor for inappropriate content or pictures, she said.
“And children should feel that parents have the right to see those,” she said.
Lautenschlager said she’s amazed at the improvement in the criminal justice system, especially treatment of victims, in the past 20 years.
“We’ve also come a long way in addressing the needs of children,” Lautenschlager said.
Anne Jungen can be reached at (608) 791-8224 or ajungen@lacrossetribune.com.
