THE widespread popularity of the internet has made it one of the most remarkable inventions of the 20th century. But it can also be a dangerous place for children. Kat Dibbits reports on the measures parents can take to try to help their children stay safe online.

ONLINE networking has seen a massive boom over recent years, with sites such as MySpace and programmes such as MSN Messenger enjoying unprecedented levels of popularity. But this sense of community can also harbour criminals, who take advantage of the anonymity of chat rooms to prey on vulnerable young people.

Yesterday the Bolton Evening News reported the story of 14-year-old Sakina Oozeer, who has disappeared from her home in Farnworth.

Her parents are afraid that she may have gone to meet a man she met on the internet. They said that she left after an argument over the amount of time she spent on her computer.

Sakina's sister, Nadia, aged 26, said: "She told me a couple of months ago that she had been chatting to a boy in London, but it all seemed very innocent."

Some researchers suggest that as many as two-thirds of 13 to 17-year-olds have personal pages on networking sites. Often their parents are unaware of the content of these profiles.

A recent newspaper article also suggested that "up to one in 12 of the eight million children with Internet access have gone on to meet someone in reality after they first made contact on the Internet".

Children can find themselves in danger online through chat rooms, email, online gaming and if they create their own websites.

Bolton software company Website Boffin allows children as young as six to build their own interactive websites - but all content can be monitored and controlled by parents.

Ian Fisher, managing director of Fisher Educational, who created the software, said: "I found that free websites available to children were showing personal information that could put them in danger.

"This obviously made me very concerned about my children, who were eager to create websites of their own."

Chat rooms have received a lot of bad press recently, due to high profile cases such as that of ex-Marine Toby Studebaker, who disappeared with a 12-year-old British schoolgirl.

As a response to cases such as these, where paedophiles "groom" potential victims via chat rooms, the government's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has introduced a "report abuse" facility into Windows Messenger software that children can click if they suffer or witness inappropriate sexual contact.

When asked whether "grooming" by paedophiles online had become more prevalent, a spokesperson for CEOP said: "What has become more prevalent is investigations into grooming."

CEOP has a number of key messages for children and young people.

The spokesperson said: "The internet is a great place. It is integral to children's lives, but it is another public place and you should treat it as such. In the same way that you wouldn't go up to a stranger in the street and give them your details and pictures of yourself, don't do it online. Enjoy the benefits of the internet, but remember safety first. And if there's any doubt at all, go to www.thinkuknow.co.uk.

"To parents basically what we would say is that children in many ways are the natives of the internet, it is integral to their lives. What we're not saying is go home and pull the plug out of the computer, children are resilient and will find other ways to get online. Instead, find out what your child is doing online. Sit down with them. ask them to explain to you the sites they're using and how they're using them. And similarly, as a parent have a look at the thinkuknow website, because that has a lot of advice and it explains things like blogging and instant messaging, and will allow you as a parent to understand the issues in a lot more detail."

In Bolton, children who are worried that someone has made inappropriate advances toward them online, or who want to find more information about how they can keep themselves safe can talk to the young people's advice bureau, Connexions.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said on behalf of Connexions: "We are happy to speak to parents or young people who are interested in or concerned about how to stay safe online. We have access to a variety of information and organisations that provide specialist information on this issue.

"Parents and young people who want to find out more about how to stay safe online should visit www.connexions-bolton.com or pop into the Connexions office in the Wellsprings, Le Mans Crescent."

They recommend two websites, www.chatdanger.com and www.thinkuknow.com, which contain information about how to stay safe online.

Meanwhile, Mrs Oozeer has urged her daughter to come home, and has stressed that she will not be in any trouble.

Sakina has long black hair, and when last seen was wearing dark jeans and a black and pink stripey jumper, and was carrying a blue bag.