Bill and I know and believe we are making a difference but, it's not until you have an individual like Stephen Dean, Peabody Award winning investigative reporter say, that he is grateful for our CyberHood Watch program and happy to come back, then it becomes validated from one that is an authority. Thanks Stephen.Stephen Dean is the lead investigative reporter for NBC station KPRC TV. Mr. Dean was a guest of the CyberHood Watch radio show and we covered a lot of subject matter. You can download the entire show at WWW.CHWradio.com. Stephen covered how pedophiles will tip-toe up to your child, check them out and begin the process of "grooming" for their next victim. Don't make the mistake thinking your child is smart enough. They are no match for seasoned criminal pedophiles, who may be grooming as many as eight children at one time.Kids know about the term "stranger-danger" (a term that Nancy McBride, National Safety Director for NCEMC, would like to see removed from the English language), they know about creeps on the Internet but, they don't feel they are strangers because of the many hours they have spent together on the Internet. These predators understand all too well the psychology of a young mind. A phrase like, "I'm a school teacher, you need to be careful in chat rooms, I know and understand your age group", simple phrase but, it lowers the resistance of the child.Stephen is a strong proponent of monitoring software and believes parents should not get hung up on the issue of privacy. Bill and I recently interviewed Ken Shallcross from PC Pandora on this very subject. It would behoove parents to read the article in the New York Times.Stephen talked about how current tips are not practical any longer and that we need to think past the typical tips and look for emotional behavior. If your child seems upset online, ask your child why and listen closely to their response. If it's a direct and practical answer like, "I'm upset with Sally because she's being a jerk" then chances are its normal. However, if the response is a lot of uhmms and ahhs and a brush-off, chances are you need to investigate. When Stephen asked the Attorney General of the United States about these issues it was said that their concerns were terrorists, which indicates that there focus is not on the problem of predators and pedophiles on the Internet. Until we can capture the attention of our leaders regarding these problems we will not see the necessary enforcement of the laws. It's going to take a concerted effort of individuals to bring it to the attention of our leaders on all levels of government.When asked at what age to talk to our children about Internet dangers, Stephen's immediate response was at the very moment they get on the computer and even before if possible. It's not about explaining the birds and the bees; it's about explaining the dangers on the Internet. They need to know that there are bad people on the Internet who want to hurt children. Mr. Dean was adamant that parents shouldn't show a complete dismissal in the interest of their children online activities. Your kids will see this dismissal as a disconnect and when they need to talk about something that is bothering them, the open communication needed is lost. Don't put up a disconnect, parents need to be interested. Open communication is a key to prevention.One of the main reasons Stephen Dean wrote, "Your Neighbor's Secret Life Online" and his earlier book was he was tired of the short press releases, propaganda, and lip service that was being given to the problem. You can find Stephen's books at: