Missing to teach kids how to stay safe

A national program to fight online predators is scheduled to kick off in the US capital on October 1, 2003, at a special conference.

The event, which will include members of Congress, law enforcement agencies, the Entertainment Software Association, and a victim of online pedophilia and her father, will kick off the Web Wise Kids release of the newest version of the game program Missing.

An ESA grant to support the Web Wise Kids program will be announced at the conference. Missing has already helped identify three online predators and will soon be available in 25 states.

Attending the kickoff will be a San Francisco teen who played the game, recognized that she was being victimized, and notified police, leading to the conviction of a man wanted for rape in North Carolina. Also attending will be the teen's father, who will discuss the importance of the game.

Missing was developed by LiveWires Design in Vancouver and seeks to educate children about online predation by walking them through the story of a boy named Zack who is the victim of predation. Teachers, parents, and kids can then use the third-person experience gained in the game to open up lines of communication to discuss issues and encourage kids to be more aware and communicative when they find themselves in dangerous situations online.