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Danger From Internet Predators Overstated: Study
Media exaggerates reports of minors solicited online, task force finds
By Kevin Spak
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Posted Jan 14, 09 2:48 PM CST
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(Newser)
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Remember all the hoopla about sexual predators on MySpace? Well … never mind. A task force created by 49 state attorneys general finds no significant problem with minors being propositioned by adults on social-networking sites, the Raleigh News & Observer reports, with widespread fears to the contrary a “moral panic.” Parents should be more worried about old-fashioned bullying, both online and off, the report concludes.
“Social networks are very much like real-world communities that are comprised mostly of good people who are there for the right reasons,” said one member of the task force. North Carolina’s attorney general criticized the report, however, saying it used “outdated and inadequate research to downplay the problem.”