MADISON, Wis. -- While logging onto the Internet has become a daily ritual for millions of young people, the potential dangers teens can encounter in chat rooms and Web sites is just as ever-present and something some experts are warning parents shouldn't overlook.

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In the second of a two-part series examining the gap that exists between some parents and their children in terms of the latter's Internet usage, WISC-TV will examine steps that parents can take to safeguard their children against online dangers.

Rob Howard, a University of Wisconsin communications arts professor who teaches a class on Internet communication, said that the gap has emerged because of how the technology has been marketed.

"Certain technologies have been marketed I think directly to, or more specifically to a certain age demographic, and those people have assimilated them into their lives more readily," said Howard.

For some parents, it's easy to overlook the potential dangers that the Internet poses as the online world can appear unreal, or at least, hidden behind the anonymity of screen names and chat rooms.

But some experts warn the line between the virtual and the real world is a blur that parents should examine closely.

In Verona, teenage friends Jade, Hillary and Molly say that a person's online screen name is the key to keeping in touch.

"You can look at pictures and you can check your comments and messages that people leave you," Hillary said.

"It's pretty much how I like talk to people. I don't really have like have any other ways of communicating," said Jade.

To go along with that screen name, social networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace are what really keep teens connected.

Parent Michelle Newmann admits that she's a bit of a nosy mom.

"Oh when I come down, I can hear them giggle. They giggle, then I … hear a lot of stuff too that I go, 'Oh my God!' I guess I better go in there."

The Verona mother said that it's often a balancing act -- knowing when to trust your children and when to protect them.

"I just gave them strict guidelines to go by. I've came down to look over their shoulder. I know their passwords to get on so I can check," Newman said.

While the girls might feel like Big Brother is watching their every move, a real "big brother" is out there

Special Agent Eric Szatkowski works for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and since 1999, he has tracked down Internet predators -- all while posing undercover as a teenager on the Web.

"I've been responsible of the arrest of about 70 of these predators," Szatkowski said.

Szatkowski said that the Internet has become more dangerous as it become more commonplace in many people's lives.

"As more and more of our country is on the Internet -- particularly kids -- it just seems like more of these predators keep coming out of the woodwork and are now using the Internet to exploit kids of literally all ages," he said.

Speaking to Waupun High School students about risky online behavior, Szatkowski talks about what he calls "grooming techniques" used by some predators.

"Many of them just go into chat rooms and go through a series of grooming techniques with kids," he said. "They try to gain their trust, gain their confidence, elicit personal information, tell them things they want to hear. 'I love you, I care about you, I think you're special.'"

"They know what to say, they know how to say it. They know what buttons to push," Szatkowski said.

He said the techniques are all ways to gain the trust of the child.

"(A) predator is trying to get that kid to be comfortable with him so that they turn over pictures, so they turn over personal information, that they talk to them on a cell phone. All (this) with the idea of getting some type of sexual gratification," he said.

Some Waupun students said that problems online can start before even high school.

"In middle school … you'll just get somebody's e-mail you don't even know who they are and you talk to them, but not really in high school. I only talk to people I know," said Carol Paschke, a Waupun High School senior.

"I wouldn't doubt that there's people within the school that will fall for it or things like that, that'll get into it," said senior Jenna Loomans.

This is why Szatkowski says parents need to look at Internet issues the same way they look at drugs and alcohol abuse.

"Educate them! Share their values as parents with them, so kids are going to understand that there are some dangerous people out there, and they just need to be cautious about who they're interacting with.," Szatkowski said.

Experts said that there's no clear cut way to talk to teens about online dangers. They said that parents can tell young people that they're monitoring their computer time, but many will then use a computer outside the home. On the flip side, many parents said that it's too invasive to monitor without letting teens know.

Szatkowski said that which ever approach parents take, the key is parents knowing who's in that virtual world with their children.

Stats Show Teens Flock To Online Networking Sites

Studies by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children show young people flock to the Web and most are willing to put some personal information for the whole world to see.

About 71 percent of teens said that they have online profiles with networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, and about 64 percent said that they post pictures and videos of themselves.

More than half of those in the 2007 survey said that they post information about where they live. About 8 percent said that they'll give out their cell phone number.

About 69 percent of teens surveyed said that they regularly receive personal messages from people they don't know.

Schools Report Surge In 'Cyber-Bullying'

While online predators can be a threat to young people online, some schools said that they're seeing instances of "cyber-bullying," in which children and teens use the Web to harass their classmates.

Typically, the bullying can occur through MySpace, Facebook, chat rooms and instant messaging, WISC-TV reported..

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children survey found that 20 percent of young people report being harassed or bullied online.

It's an issue some schools locally have had to deal with as well.

"The bullying itself is very similar to the bullying that would happen in a cafeteria or in a hallway," said Fred Bartman, the guidance counselor for Kromrey Middle School. "Certain kids are targeted, certain kids are typically known as a bully, and it's actually organized very similarly."

Experts say that all of these potential issues reiterate the importance of parents becoming computer-literate. It's a chance for them to embrace all the new technology and minimize the potential problems that come with it.