SANTA ANA, CA and WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwire) -- 07/16/09 -- Web Wise Kids (www.webwisekids.org) applauds the introduction of bipartisan legislation that would provide funding to programs educating children how to safely, securely and ethically use the Internet and mobile technologies. Sponsored by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Congressman John Culberson (R-TX), H.R. 3222, the Adolescent Web Awareness Requires Education Act (AWARE Act), would provide critical resources to America's educational infrastructure to train educators in online risk prevention and empower students and parents with hands-on opportunities to use technology safely for generations to come. This legislation is a companion measure to S. 1047 (http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.1047:), introduced by Senator Robert Menendez in May of this year.

"Web Wise Kids applauds the outstanding leadership of Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Culberson in sponsoring this bill and recognizing the critical importance of programs to keep children safe in a cyber world," said Web Wise Kids CEO Judi Westberg Warren. "Today's digital world presents a tremendous opportunity for innovation but also significant challenges to keep children safe. Our kids' futures depend on their understanding and leveraging technology in a smart way. We urge swift passage of this bipartisan legislation which will help prevent online victimization of millions of children."

The bill would establish a competitive Internet safety education grant program for state and local education agencies and non-profit organizations to promote the safe use of digital technologies. The legislation authorizes $125 million over five years for the grant program, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice in collaboration with the Departments of Education and Health & Human Services. The grants would also provide much-needed professional development training to educators so they have tools to teach children how to safely use the Internet.

"The Internet has opened up the world for our children, but it has also opened up our children to the world," said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a mother of three young children under 10. "Educating children must be our first line of defense to keep them safe from the dangers of online predators, cyber-bullies, 'sexting,' and other online dangers. This bill will help fund high quality, engaging, and age-appropriate Internet safety education programs to teach our children how to be smart and safe online and reduce their risk of being victimized by Internet crime."

Congressman Culberson said: "The way to meet the challenges and opportunities the Internet presents isn't to deny our children access to this great resource but to empower them to use it wisely. Just as we make sure our children know not to talk to strangers, not to bully kids on the playground, and not to provide personal information, we have the same responsibility to teach them to apply these values online."

Virtually every tween and teen in the country is using the Internet daily. Some 93% of youth ages 12 to 17 are online (Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 2007). This meteoric rise in children's use of the Internet to gain knowledge and socialize with one another has also led to a disturbing rise in risky online behaviors such as 'sexting,' kids sharing nude photos from cell phones and cyber-bullying where kids use the Internet or mobile devices to send hurtful messages to peers. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, about 43% of teens have been victims of cyber-bullying in the last year. Child predators also migrate to the Internet. A startling 32% of teens online admitted to being contacted by strangers and 23% of teens contacted by a stranger said they felt scared or uncomfortable (Pew Internet & American Life Project).

The Broadband Data Improvement Act, signed into law October 2008 by President Bush, requires the majority of schools nationwide to have Internet safety programs but included no funding to help schools meet this requirement. Currently, students receive almost no education on Internet safety despite data showing youth face enormous risks online. State and local agencies place the majority of responsibility of teaching Internet safety on educators who have received little or no professional training to help students safely navigate the Internet. This historic bill encourages collaboration between schools and nonprofit organizations with expertise in Internet safety education to develop programs that teach young people how to be savvy, safe and smart in today's digital world.

About Web Wise Kids

Web Wise Kids is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing online child victimization by providing innovative tools to assist youth to stay safe online. Web Wise Kids implements interactive Internet safety programs nationwide in conjunction with school systems, law enforcement, teachers, community-based youth organizations, technology companies and others. The Web Wise Kids products were chosen to participate in the federal initiative Project Safe Childhood. Web Wise Kids programs have reached nearly seven million children and thousands of parents nationwide. For more information, visit www.webwisekids.org or call + 1 714-435-2885.