Kids don't have to leave the house to be exposed to pornography, cyber-bullying, predators and other threats.

Parents are sometimes slow to realize that three-quarters of inappropriate material that children view is on home computers, said Dianne Florence, former president of the Virginia PTA and a leader of an Internet safety task force developed to reduce the risks.

"Schools have done everything they can to filter these things out," Florence said.

To counterattack, the state PTA, in partnership with the nonprofit organization Enough Is Enough, will host "Internet Safety 101: Empowering Parents" tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Deep Run High School in Henrico County.

Virginia is the only state to host the program before it is launched nationally next year.

"Parents have got to win this battle," Florence said.

Donna Rice Hughes, president of Enough Is Enough, will introduce the program and share Internet safety tips.

The 101 program will cover a variety of topics about online threats while educating parents about safety basics.

The Virginia PTA and Enough Is Enough received a grant so that parents attending the session will receive a DVD and workbook to help them understand the risks and learn to monitor children's computer use.
Contact Lisa Crutchfield at (804) 649-6362 or lcrutchfield@timesdispatch.com.