WASHINGTON, D.C. – Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) held the third annual Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety today in Washington D.C. Sixteen students from Cox communities nationwide participated in discussions on Internet safety led by children's advocate John Walsh and Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007.

This year's Summit focused on the online behaviors of tweens, children between the ages of eight and twelve, and was inspired by the results of the Cox Tween Internet Safety Survey. For access to the complete survey results, fast-facts culled from the findings, photos and b-roll from the Summit please visit www.safeteensonline.com.

"I have worked at the Boys & Girls Club in Orange County since I was sixteen, and I always work with the tweens," said Navid Rastin, eighteen, one of the summit participants. "I can tell how hard it is for them to make friends. Social networks are a place where they look for friends, but they find a lot of peer pressure there, and they do a lot of crazy things, including posting inappropriate pictures. It's all about self-esteem."

Again this year, discussion at the Summit covered a mix of encouraging and troubling news revealed by the most recent survey on Internet safety. Key findings from the survey released today are:

• Ninety percent of tweens report having used the Internet by nine years-old.
• Tweens online presence doubles or even triples between the ages of eight to ten and eleven to twelve.
• Thirty-four percent of eleven and twelve year-olds have a profile on a social networking site. Tweens with social networking profiles post more personal information online.
• More than one in five tweens post information about themselves online, including pictures, the city they live in and how old they are. Twenty-seven percent of tweens ages eleven to twelve admit to posting a fake age online.
• Twenty-eight percent of tweens have been contacted over the Internet by someone they don't know.
• The percentage of tweens that tell parents "a lot" or "everything" they do online drops rapidly with age. Only sixty-nine percent of eleven to twelve year-olds tell Mom and Dad a lot/everything versus eighty-six percent of eight year-olds to ten year-olds.
• Of tweens who have been contacted online by someone they don't know (twenty-eight percent), eighteen percent keep the messages to themselves, and eleven percent have chatted with the unknown person.

"Our first line of defense in keeping kids safe is parents and guardians, and most parents seem to be taking this responsibility seriously," said John Walsh, host of "America's Most Wanted" (FOX). "Seventy-three percent of the tweens who participated in our survey indicated that Mom and Dad had talked to them 'a lot' about Internet safety. The remaining twenty-seven percent represents too many kids to leave unprotected when there are people out there who have the compulsion to commit horrible acts. Each child with Internet access must learn as much about safety as possible. The stakes are just too high," he said.

Lauren Nelson also shared her own personal experience in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers for children on the Internet. "When I was thirteen, my friends and I made the bad decision to share personal information on the Internet with someone we later learned meant to harm us," said Nelson. "We told him our names, ages and where we lived. Thankfully, we told our parents about what we had done, and nothing bad happened to any of us, but not all kids are this lucky. Tweens share a lot with their parents, but start to keep things to themselves as they mature; parents need to understand this and do their best to keep the lines of communication open."

Tomorrow, Walsh and Nelson will also discuss the survey and implications for families live in local broadcast television and radio interviews, and they will also be available via Web cast from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. EDT to answer questions about Internet safety and discuss the teen survey in greater detail. To view the Web cast, go to http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=49596®d=n.

Also tomorrow, the tweens are headed to Capitol Hill where they will meet with Senators and Representatives from their respective states in an effort to bring awareness to the issue of Internet safety. During more than twenty-five separate meetings, the tweens will speak one-on-one with Senators and Representatives including: Shelley Berkeley (D-NV), John Boozman (R-AR), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), John Kyl (R-AZ), Blanche Lincoln (D-AK), Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mike Ross (D-AR), Jon Porter (R-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Harry Reid (D-NV), Lee Terry (R-NE), David Vitter (R-LA), Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH), Jim Webb (D-VA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The Tween Summit is an extension of Cox Communications' ongoing Take Charge! initiative (www.cox.com/takecharge), which helps parents, guardians and kids make smarter media decisions. The Teen Summit will air on Cox's local cable channels nationwide starting later this summer.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com.

About Cox's Take Charge Initiative:

Cox's research on teen Internet safety from the last three years, online safety tools and tips, and links to NCMEC and other sources are available at www.cox.com/TakeCharge. Cox's Take Charge program was launched in 2004 to educate parents and guardians about the importance of Internet safety and to help families get the most out of mass media in the home. It provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage what their children see, and don't see, on TV and the Internet—from instructions on setting parental controls, to a guide to the lingo teens use online, to tips for more constructive conversations between parents and kids. Teaching young children and teens how to stay safer online is a major element of the Take Charge program, thanks in part to Cox's partnership with NetSmartz.com, a collaboration between NCMEC and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Cox has donated more than $30 million worth of advertising time to NetSmartz and NCMEC to encourage safer online behavior among children. Cox's Take Charge site will be updated with the complete 2008 tween research findings at the conclusion of the summit.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 2.2 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 126,000 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 594,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification program has analyzed 14,437,865 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. − Cox Communications and partners the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC), children's advocate John Walsh and Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson will convene the 3rd annual Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety tomorrow. Fifteen students from Cox communities nationwide will participate in discussions on Internet safety led by Walsh and Nelson.

WHAT: Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety

WHEN: Tuesday, July 22, 2008

• Tween Summit 9:00 a.m. (no media, tweens only)
• Press Conference 10:45 a.m.

WHERE: National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20045

At the press conference, Walsh and Nelson will present key findings from the Cox Tween Internet Safety Survey, along with highlights from their discussion with the tweens and teens participating in the summit. More information on the participating students from Cox communities, Cox's historical research on teen Internet safety, and multimedia files are available at www.safeteensonline.com. The site will be updated with the complete findings from the Cox Tween Internet Safety Survey at the conclusion of the press conference.

On Wednesday, July 23rd, Walsh and Nelson will also discuss the research and implications for families, live, in local broadcast television and radio interviews, and they will also will be available via Webcast 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. EDT to answer questions about Internet safety and discuss the teen survey in greater detail. To join the Webcast, click here.

Also on July 23rd, participating tweens and teens are headed to Capitol Hill where they will meet with Senators and Representatives from their respective states in an effort to bring awareness to the issue of Internet safety.

The Tween Summit is an extension of Cox Communications' ongoing Take Charge! initiative (www.cox.com/takecharge) which helps parents, guardians and kids make smarter media decisions. The Tween Summit will air on Cox's local cable channels nationwide starting later this summer.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com.

About Cox's Take Charge Initiative:

Cox's Take Charge! program was launched in 2004 to educate parents and guardians about the importance of Internet safety and to help families get the most out of mass media in the home. It provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage what their children see, and don't see, on TV and the Internet -- from instructions on setting parental controls, to a guide to the lingo teens use online, to tips for more constructive conversations between parents and kids. Teaching young children and teens how to stay safer online is a major element of the Take Charge program, thanks in part to Cox's partnership with the NetSmartz® Workshop, NCMEC's Internet safety resource available at www.NetSmartz.org. Cox has donated more than $30 million worth of advertising time to NetSmartz and NCMEC to encourage safer online behavior among children. More information on Take Charge! is available at www.Cox.com/TakeCharge.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 2.2 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 126,000 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 594,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification program has analyzed 14,437,865 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

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ATLANTA – Cox Communications, in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and TV host and children's advocate John Walsh are presenting original research on the behavior of young people online. Together, the organizations are working to help parents and guardians understand the potential dangers of the Internet and how they can help keep their kids safer online. This year, the study and discussion extends to the “tween” population, children between the ages of eight and twelve years-old. Today, the organizations released a fraction of the research findings, some of which was encouraging:

• Seventy-three percent of tweens report that Mom and Dad have talked to them "a lot" about Internet safety
• Ninety-six percent of tweens tell Mom and Dad about at least some of what they do online; seventy-nine percent tell parents everything
• Of tweens who tell someone when they receive online messages from unknown senders, the vast majority reach out to Mom (ninety-one percent)
• Ninety percent of tweens are online by age nine

"It's really great to see that so many parents are making it a priority to talk to their children about their use of the Internet," said John Walsh. "However, the research also tells us that there's a drop-off in the likelihood of young people to continue to speak openly with their parents and guardians about their Internet use as they mature. This is of particular concern since tweens often communicate with anonymous contacts with whom they interact while online. The tween summit in Washington, DC on July 22nd will be a great opportunity for me and Lauren Nelson to discuss this important issue with all of the participants − and the media," he said.

Complete findings from the Cox Tween Internet Safety SurveyTM will be made available at a press briefing on July 22nd, when Cox, NCMEC, Walsh, host of "America’s Most Wanted," and Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, convene for the third annual Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety:

WHAT: Cox Communications National Summit on Internet Safety
WHEN: Tuesday, July 22, 2008

• Tween Summit at 9:00 a.m.
• Press Conference at 10:45 a.m.

WHERE: National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20045

At the summit, Walsh and Nelson will lead tween and teen participants in a discussion of Internet safety and ways parents, guardians and teen mentors can help children be safer online. Full results from the research and the discussion at the summit will be presented immediately following the Summit, and the tweens will deliver the news directly to Capitol Hill in meetings with members of Congress on July 23rd.

Walsh and Nelson will also be available on July 23rd to answer questions about Internet safety and discuss the tween survey in greater detail in local broadcast television and radio interviews between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. EDT, and via Web cast between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. EDT. To view the Web cast, go to http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=49596®d=n.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com.

About Cox's Take Charge Initiative:

Cox's Take Charge! program was launched in 2004 to educate parents and guardians about the importance of Internet safety and to help families get the most out of mass media in the home. It provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage what their children see, and don't see, on TV and the Internet -- from instructions on setting parental controls, to a guide to the lingo teens use online, to tips for more constructive conversations between parents and kids. Teaching young children and teens how to stay safer online is a major element of the Take Charge program, thanks in part to Cox's partnership with the NetSmartz® Workshop, NCMEC's Internet safety resource available at www.NetSmartz.org. Cox has donated more than $30 million worth of advertising time to NetSmartz and NCMEC to encourage safer online behavior among children. More information on Take Charge! is available at www.Cox.com/TakeCharge.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 2.2 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 126,000 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 594,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification program has analyzed 14,437,865 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

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