The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee addressed Internet safety in a hearing today about protecting children online. In opening remarks Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) referred to the “distinguished and lovely panel” – apparently directed in particular to one of the five panelists, Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson. The central thrust of testimony was the importance of educating parents, students, teachers and school administrators on encouraging safe online use, rather than relying only on technology tools. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) asked if parental controls and filtering tools are the answer. Panelists agreed they play a role in protecting children online, but aren’t the silver bullet. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) seemed more dismissive of parental control tools, remarking earlier in the two-hour hearing that “blocking doesn’t seem to work.”

What would seem to work, the witnesses and Senators generally agreed, is making Internet safety education a mandatory part of computer education for all children. Cited as a model is a Virginia program incorporating Internet safety into the school curriculum. Lan Neugent, Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Human Resources with the Virginia Department of Education, remarked that “Internet safety cannot be covered in a single lesson or unit or by using a single program or resource…. It must be integrated into the curriculum as part of a teacher’s daily practice.” He also cited several other elements that must be in place for Internet safety programs to operate effectively: technical assistance, professional development for teachers, and implementation monitoring. Clearly understanding the direction of the hearing, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) announced his intention to offer legislation establishing a grant program to fund the development of online safety courses.

Another theme of the hearing was the importance of public-private partnerships in combating child predators, child pornography, cyberbullying and harassment. Lauren Nelson cited her partnership with Cox Communications, including the recent National Teen Summit on Internet Safety, as well as her work on an Internet predator sting operation with John Walsh and “America’s Most Wanted” and her partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC CEO Ernie Allen, also a panelist, highlighted two NCMEC public-private partnerships: the Technology Coalition that includes Microsoft, Yahoo and others, and the Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography, which includes most major ISPs and credit card companies and focuses on blocking payments to child pornography sites.

Some of the most interesting testimony came from Dr. David Finkelhor, Director of the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center, who stated bluntly that, according to his research, the vast majority of child safety issues arose not from naïve pre-teens but from at-risk teenagers who knowingly sought adult companionship online. According to Dr. Finkelhor, the implications of his research are that “we need to make sure our messages are directed at teens, in language and format and from sources they relate to. Teens themselves, not primarily parents.” Dr. Finkelhor also advocated for more research in child safety issues in order to develop appropriate messages and programs. “We shouldn’t just tell people to do prevention without providing solid guidelines about what really works. And unfortunately, I am not sure we know yet what really works.”

Parental involvement was also a common theme. “Kids want their parents to be involved. They want their parents to ask questions (about what they do on the Internet)—but without interrogating them,” Ms. Nelson said. Neugent added that "parental obligation isn’t over just because kids are 13 or older. Parents have to stay in the mix."