Tips for Keeping Kids Safe Online
What measures can parents take to keep online threats at bay?
Here are seven steps to safer surfing for your family:
1) Learn as much as you can about computers and the Internet.
Knowledge is your most powerful weapon in the fight against online threats to your children’s safety. Commit yourself to becoming more computer literate and Internet-savvy. Most parents are still light years behind their kids when it comes to new technology. You need to know how to use the Internet in order to understand what your children are doing on it. Use our Parents’ Glossary to help you get started.
2) Place the family computer in a common area.
This is probably the most important measure you can take. Parental presence can have a huge impact on kids’ online activities, discouraging inappropriate surfing and chatting. Having the computer in a family area also facilitates step number 3.
3) Get involved in your kids’ Internet use.
62 percent of children claim their parents know nothing about what they do online. Aim to make surfing the web a family activity. Spend time with your kids online and encourage them to show you their favorite websites. Use good web guides and links pages to track down the most entertaining and useful sites for all the family. Sharing the experience of surfing the net is an effective, proactive parenting technique. Our Gr8 Links 4 Kids page should set you in the right direction.
4) Agree terms of use and set limits for Internet access.
Negotiate a set of rules relating to your children’s net use. It is important to give your kids a voice in this process. Take their needs into account, but be sure to set clear limits on when and for how long they may use the internet, and on what they are permitted to do online. Consider developing a ‘contract’ with your kids and invite them to sign a pledge regarding their online activity. This can be particularly useful with older children as it helps to develop trust and responsibility.
5) Educate your children about the dangers of the Internet.
Talk openly with your kids about the threats they face online and explain the reasons behind the rules you have laid down. Make sure your children are aware of all the potential hazards and the ways they can help protect themselves. Don’t shy away from the sexual victimization issue. Save newspaper reports about cyber-molesters and show them to your kids. Remind them of the golden rule: “Don’t talk to strangers” – as valid online as it is in the real world. Children need to understand that people on the internet may not be who they say they are. Tell your kids never to give out personal information of any kind on the web. This includes their name, home address, phone number and school name. Kids should not be allowed to download, upload or send pictures via IM or e-mail without your permission. Never let them arrange face-to-face meetings with people they have met online. Once these safety guidelines have been established, reinforce them by role-playing potentially dangerous online scenarios with your children.
6) Ban chat rooms and vet instant messaging contacts.
Almost 90 percent of online sexual solicitations of minors are made in chat rooms or through instant messaging. Chat rooms are like candy stores to the modern-day pedophile. Enforce a blanket ban on their use. In the case of instant messaging, monitor your children’s “buddy lists” frequently and limit their contacts to real world friends and family. Make sure you know who each screen name refers to, and require parental approval for all new contacts. Do not allow your child to have an online profile that lists them in public directories. Know all your children’s passwords for email, IM and message board accounts and try to get acquainted with the “chat speak” used by kids to communicate online.
7) Use commercially available parental control and content filtering software.
Although there is no substitute for informed, responsible parenting, good monitoring and filtering software can be invaluable in helping knowledgeable parents enforce their choices. Monitors allow parents to review their children’s internet use, while filters block access to objectionable material.
The Kid-Safe Internet package is a combined monitoring and filtering program that includes additional time controls and IM recording tools alongside total anti-virus protection for your computer. Using the latest technology from industry leaders Netintelligence, Kid-Safe Internet offers the most comprehensive and sophisticated online safety solution available to families today.
To learn more about how Kid-Safe Internet can help protect your children online, visit the Software Features section of this website and sign up for our exclusive 14-day free trial.
