Internet Safety Tips

As A Family

Make Internet use a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than in the child's bedroom.

Remember that personal computers and online services should not be used as electronic baby sitters.

Spend time online with your children. Get to know your children's "online friends" just as you get to know their other friends.

Get to know their favorite sites. Talk about what they like and dislike about the sites as a way of reinforcing your values.

Be an involved parent. Monitor your child's online activity just as you would the shows they watch on television, the games they play or the movies they see.

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Set Rules

Set reasonable rules and guidelines for your children before they venture out on the Internet. Discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder.

Work together to decide what is and is not appropriate. Try to enlist children's cooperation and self regulation wherever possible.

Discuss software and Web sites with your children. Also read the "Video Game Report Card" on the National Institute on Media and Family's Web site": http://mediaandthefamily.org

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Talk to Your Kids

Let your children know they can talk to you about anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Remember how you respond will determine whether they confide in you the next time they encounter a problem.

Tell your children not to respond when someone offers them something for nothing, such as free software, gifts, and money.

Remind your children that the people they chat with are still strangers. Bear in mind that people may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or hear people online it's easy for an adult to pretend HE/SHE is a kid.

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Signs of a Child At Risk

The child turns the computer monitor off quickly or changes the screen on the monitor when you enter the room.

The child receives phone calls from people that you do not know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don't recognize.

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NEVER

Never allow your child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer user without parental permission. If a meeting is arranged make sure it is in a public place, and be sure to accompany your child.

Never give out information about your child such as home address, school name, telephone number, age, or any other personal information.

Never use your child's name or e-mail address in any public directories or profiles.

Tell your children to never respond to threatening or obscene messages.

Never click on any links that are contained in e-mail from persons they don't know. Such links could lead to sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate web sites.

Never post photographs of your children on web forums that are available to the public.

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What Can You Do?

Getting online yourself will alert you to any potential problem that your children may incur while on the Internet.

If you become aware of the transmission, use or viewing of child pornography while online, immediately notify the police, contact the District  Attorney's Office or report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children' Cyber Tipline at 1-800-843-5678 or www.missingkids.com/cybertip

Ask you Internet Service Provider (ISP) whether they offer filtering services to families with young children. If not check out filtering software that you can purchase at a modest cost.

Ask you ISP about privacy policy and exercise your options for how your personal information will be used.

If your child receives a message that is harassing, of a sexual nature, or threatening, forward a copy to your ISP, and ask for assistance; and contact the local police or District Attorney's Office.