MANY parents have a feeling of helplessness when it comes to trying to keep check of what their children are doing on the internet.

In many households, the truth is that children are a light years ahead of their mums and dads in their knowledge and ability to travel in cyberspace.

Parents quite rightly worry when they see or read increasing media coverage of the perverts who roam the internet looking for child victims.

But sons and daughters are quite likely to dismiss their concerns as “mum and dad nagging again”.

That’s why it is such a good idea that Blackburn College is educating staff to teach responsible and safe use of social networking sites and show youngsters how to deal with cyber bullying.

Lecturers will be able to spell out the risks and what steps to take without necessarily being seen as somehow ‘interfering’ in the freedom of teenagers to do their own thing.

Then, hopefully, paedophiles and grooming rings will cease to be able to exploit gullible youngsters in such numbers and will hopefully instead find police knocking on their doors.