Sulake Corp., parent company of HABBO, has made February 2007 Teen Online Safety Awareness Month for North America. HABBO will also feature various safety awareness programs on its international sites, which are featured in 29 countries. As part of the effort, HABBO will include special promotions, information sources and interactive activities highlighting online safety awareness. The effort will bring safety educational efforts and information to HABBO's North American audience of more than two million teens who are taking part in the interactive programs, games and prizing opportunities the community offers. TEEN MAGAZINE will also support the effort, and will feature links to HABBO's safety information and online safety tips on its popular website, Teenmag.com.
In addition to its regularly featured safety help pages and parent information pages, HABBO will saturate its site in February with interactive activities for teens such as the "Infobus," a virtual bus inside the HABBO community on which members can learn how to protect themselves from online scams and predators. The program will offer teens who take part the opportunity to win prizes and "Habbo Coins," which they can use to purchase custom décor for their online rooms and personal HABBO pages within the network.
"Sulake is serious about keeping HABBO players safe. Cyber crime and online predators are a global problem and we are resolute in educating and empowering online youth in North America and around the world," says Rebecca (Becs) Newton, HABBO's safety and moderation manager. "If teens experience a cyber attack - we want to be sure they have the tools to protect themselves. Our mission declares the motto 'Cyber Attack? Teens fight back!"
During Teen Online Safety Awareness Month, HABBO will:* Maintain its work with law enforcement experts on continuing to enhance Habbo's already sophisticated system for prevention of crime and harassment * Feature safety-promoting interactive games and activities for its teen members * Offer a free online safety guide for parents with young people online * Provide opportunities for teens and parents to discuss types of online crime and how to stay safe online and offline * Work to create awareness about all forms of cyber crime, including sexual predators, identity theft, fraud and text message scams.
According to the University of New Hampshire's 2006 Study on Online Victimization of Youth, 1 in 7 teens experience unwanted sexual solicitations online, and one in three teens are exposed to unwanted sexual material online.
For more information, visit www.habbo.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
