ABSTRACT
The World Wide Web is a system with universally accepted standards for storing, retrieving, formatting, changing and displaying information in a networked environment. The online sexual grooming of children is increasing and may affect up to one in ten children. Online opportunities for creative and civic participation are taken up only by a minority of children, though many state that they wish to be 'good digital citizens'. Children face similar online risks regardless of geographical location, but there appear to be some differences in developing nations. The model developed indicates that external factors help to maintain the behaviour such as the online environment, dissonance and offender's perceptions of young people and their behaviour. Organisations like the Virtual Global Taskforce and the Internet Watch Foundation have made great headway in attempting to protect children online. Global commitments have been made to protect children in the online and offline environments.
