Georgia high school students warned about dangers associated with Internet use

By Staff Writer

Students in a Georgia county were presented with some alarming statistics about sexting, cyberbullying and Internet safety.

The Newton Citizen reports that law enforcement and school officials recently spoke to high school students about the potential dangers of certain technology devices. The county sheriff's office reports that children between 12 and 14 years old engage in sexual chats online, while 94 percent of students have admitted to being cyberbullied and never telling anyone.

The high school principal told the news provider that the presentation aims to help teens make safe decisions when they are using their cell phones and social networking sites. An investigator with the sheriff's office warned students that content that is shared on websites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube can make them targets for bullies and sexual predators.

She added that some information that is shared online can lead to missed education and employment opportunities. Furthermore, sexual photos that are shared through phones and other electronic devices could potentially lead to criminal charges because of strict laws against producing and distributing child pornography.

According to iSafe.org, 35 percent of kids in the U.S. have been threatened online, while nearly 20 percent have had it happen more than once.