The Salvation Army Partners with Enough is Enough to Protect Kids Online through Launch of Internet Safety 101 Program
The internet has revolutionized the way we work, play and communicate, exponentially increasing accessibility to knowledge and tools of almost anything that can be imagined. In addition to its many advantages, this nearly limitless exposure provided by the web also presents unique risks and threats to users, especially children. Online they have free and easy access to solicited and unsolicited pornography, as well as increased opportunities to engage in risky behavior. They are also susceptible to sexual predators and cyberbullies. Whether it be on their computers, cell phones, or gaming systems, the internet leaves youth vulnerable to threats never imagined before recent years. Therefore, Enough is Enough, The Salvation Army, and other partners are working to better prepare adults to know how to fight on their kids’ behalf against this real and ever-present corruption.
The Salvation Army is partnering with Enough is Enough (EIE), the nationally leading organization in making the internet safer for children and families, to launch the new Internet Safety 101 Program. Its focus is to inform and empower parents, educators, and other adults through educational online materials at www.internetsafety101.org, a comprehensive DVD teaching series, and workbook which address serious but relevant issues such as pornography, sexual predators, online gaming, cyberbullying, social networking, and other web-based threats. This innovative Program will be officially announced at a press event on Wednesday, February 17, at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, attended by EIE President Donna Rice Hughes, The Salvation Army’s National President of Women’s Ministries Commissioner Eva Gaither, who serves on EIE’s Board of Directors, and Major Betty Israel, The Salvation Army’s National Social Services Secretary.
Commissioner Gaither stated, “Protecting our children is of the utmost importance, and in order to best do that, we must understand the risks that endanger their safety and innocence. The internet can be a dangerous, invisible enemy, but The Salvation Army is ready to equip adults with the support and resources they need to more effectively guard those who are vulnerable. Therefore, we are thankful for the diligent efforts of Enough is Enough and are pleased to partner with them in rolling out this practical Internet Safety Program. It is a vitally important tool in defending the security and innocence that all children should have the opportunity to enjoy.”
EIE says they will continue to use their original website (www.Enough.org) to deliver their “three-pronged preventive mission of Education (raising awareness of threats), Industry (developing viable technological solutions for threats), and Enforcement (promoting legal solutions for aggressive enforcement of current/new laws for safe internet use).”
Indeed, EIE and The Salvation Army understand there is an urgent and increasing need to equip adults and guard children from the threats that lurk within the internet community. According to EIE, almost 93% of children ages 12-17 are online, leaving a hugely significant majority of the young population vulnerable. In addition, the organization reports there are more than 644,865 registered sex offenders in the United States, more than 100,000 of whom have been “lost in the system.” Though the walls of our homes used to be enough to protect children from the majority of such threats, the internet is quickly breaking down these physical barriers. It has become the dominant source for disseminating hard-core pornography which grosses $13 billion annually. Online child pornography is a $3 billion annual industry and continues to grow.
As a part of its mission statement to indiscriminately meet human need in the name of Christ, The Salvation Army is committed to protecting the bodies, hearts, and minds of children and fighting the evils that are pornography and sexual exploitation, which distort God’s perfect design and erode our society. The Salvation Army’s partnership with EIE in supporting the Internet Safety 101 Program and Commissioner Eva Gaither’s ongoing participation in oversight of EIE’s plans and activities help further this critical goal.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part
of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been
supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 129
years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive
assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array
of social services that range from providing food for the hungry,
relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to
the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and
opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every
dollar raised is used to support those services in 5,000 communities
nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.