One of those parents happens to be one of the top law enforcement officers in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Now she's trying to protect not just her own child.
The Montgomery County District Attorney has long been a child's advocate. With 3 kids of her own, it is a cause close to Risa Ferman's heart, and in the advent of the internet, you could say she's hawkish about children's safety.
"We've done internet safety programs through the DA's office for years, well over a decade," says Risa Ferman.
Ferman noticed her 8 year old son was on the internet chatting with someone he believed was his cousin.
"And I said, 'You don't know who is on the other end.' And he insisted that he did. And it made me realize at that moment, I needed some way as a parent to help teach him about safety online and about some of the dangers out here," explained Ferman.
Finding nothing available along those lines on book shelves, with the help of illustrator Stephen Herko, she decided to write the book, "The Mouse Who Went Surfing Alone".
It is the story about Wesley, a mouse who loved surfing, who one day, despite his parents' warnings about the dangers, decided to go surfing alone.
"He gets lost at sea and then he encounters Sea predators who are looking to cause trouble for him," explained Ferman. "And the Sea predators each create a metaphor for one of the dangers that we see on line."
If the book takes off, Ferman hopes to do a series of books with different messages and themes.
The book was being debut Thursday night at Mission Kids annual fundraiser, a non-profit effort aimed at stopping the cycle of child abuse. All proceeds from the book will go to Mission Kids.
"We're very excited about this and part of Mission Kids is the response to child abuse, but another part of it is getting out into the community and focusing on awareness," Ferman said.
A passionate child advocate, Ferman's goal is to have this book not just in every elementary school in Montgomery County, but all across the country.
A DVD version is soon to follow. Ferman says the possibilities are endless.
