How do we, as parents, protect our kids from experiencing a horror like this? By far, most important thing we can do is communicate openly with our kids about dangers of Internet usage (what to look for in emails, instant messages, and chat rooms that might be suspicious).

Young children should not have access to email, chat rooms or instant messaging. You may want to allow your teenagers to use these tools as long as you have ability to closely monitor their activity. You must have full access to where they are going online and observe type of chat room conversations they participate in. They should never reveal personal information to strangers (such as name, age, gender, school or address). Make sure they don’t download anything without your permission. They also need to know that your rules apply when they use Internet in other locations (friends’ homes, library, school). Tell your kids to NEVER respond to strangers in emails or instant messages (and report to you if it happens).

The Information Super Highway is an exciting place to navigate, and now you can do so worry-free. Don’t let dangerous drivers out there prevent you from accessing information and tools that are yours at click of a mouse!

About the Author:

David Keyes is the author of "The Secrets of Internet Marketing Success. Through seminars, small groups, and many online avenues, he has helped hundreds of individuals and families succeed in protecting themselves online. Visit his site to find out how you can get a free subscription to his newsletter and information on tools that allow you to use the internet worry-free.

“At first I thought it was sergeant coming to check on us,” my student said.

Military personnel were on duty around clock to supervise boys.

“Then what happened?” I asked.

“S-sss-some,” he stammered.

“Something pulled blanket off his bed,” his roommate finished.

By now, all of boys looked frightened.

“I don’t want to stay here anymore,” said one young man.

“Me, either.”

“I’m calling my mom to tell her to come and get me.”

“Me, too.”

“All right everybody,” I said. “Take a deep breath.”

I waited for them to take a deep breath.

“Now let it out slowly.”

They all did.

“What else happened?”

Other boys described pranks of a similar nature — waking up in middle of night freezing cold, only to discover that their window was wide open when it had been shut and locked hours earlier; math books that had been sitting on their desks when they went to sleep were in bottom of garbage can when they woke up; uniforms were switched so that when they started to get dressed in morning, they discovered they didn’t have their own clothes.

“Hmmm,” I said. “Who do you think would play tricks like that?”

My students considered question for a few moments.

“Well, it kind of sounds like something we would do,” said one young man.

“Hey…it DOES sound like something we would do!”

“You mean you think it’s a real person…?”

“Or is it a ghost, one of those guys that’s buried here…?”

“I think it’s one of us.”

“But even if it’s a ghost, it’s still one of us — a cadet.”

“Yeah, it WOULD be a cadet, wouldn’t it…”

I smiled to myself as they continued their discussion. At least they didn’t seem so frightened anymore.

For rest of fall incidents continued. Then they stopped as abruptly as they had started. Either culprit was afraid he was going to get caught, or else. . .

Wait a minute. You don’t suppose there really WAS a ghost?

Naaa. . .couldn’t be.

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