Ruppersberger Holds Congressional Town Hall Forum on Internet Safety

(Washington, D.C.)- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) held a Congressional Forum on Internet safety at Magnolia Middle School in Joppa, Maryland, on Monday, May 22, 2006. 

“Students use the internet for everything from researching school papers to chatting with friends.  We must do all we can to keep our children safe online.  Protecting our children from internet predators and bullying must be a priority,” said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD).

A study by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Justice Department found that one of every five young people ages 10 to 17 surveyed said they had received a sexual solicitation over the Internet.

Child health advocates and internet experts offered the following tips to keep your kids safe online.  
• Talk to your children about their internet use on a regular basis.
• Keep computers in a family room or other common area around the house. 
• Teach your children to never give out their personal information online.
• Prohibit children from personally meeting anyone they met online without your approval. 

Congressman Ruppersberger periodically holds Town Hall Forums on a range of topics from the new Medicare Prescription Drug law to the issues facing our nation’s Veterans at locations all across the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland.

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