This website had been produced by Childnet International, a non-profit organisation which is working with others to help make the internet a great place for children. Childnet is positive about the way that the Internet can help children discover, connect and create with others and the organisation runs a number of projects to help broaden access to the Internet and quality content. Childnet is also concerned to ensure that children are protected from unsuitable content and since 1995 has been working at a strategic level to ensure that children are not exploited from those who would seek to contact and harm them through the new technologies.
In June of 2000 John and Julie Smith (not their real names) contacted Childnet to ask for help and advice in dealing with a personal family tragedy. Appalled that their 13 year old child had been contacted and sexually abused by an adult who met her through a teenage Internet chat room, they asked Childnet for help in alerting other parents to the dangers of Chat and ensure that those companies who run chat rooms provided clearer safety advice for children.
In developing this Chat danger site Childnet's priority was to protect the family's identity and support them so they could re-build their lives. Great care has been taken not to sensationalise the plight of the victim, nor give unnecessary information about the specifics of the case. The team worked closely with the family and child-welfare experts in developing the central aim of the site which is