Getting Involved in
Your Child's Online Activities
Aside from these tools,
it's a good idea to take an active role in
protecting your child from Internet predators
and sexually explicit materials that are online.
Here are some steps that can help you do that:
- Become computer
literate and learn how to block
objectionable material.
- Keep the computer
in a common area, not in individual
bedrooms, where you can watch and monitor
your child.
- Share an email
account with your child so you can monitor
messages.
- Bookmark your
child's favorite sites for easy access.
- Spend time online
together to teach your child appropriate
online behavior.
- Forbid your child
from entering private chat rooms; block them
with safety features provided by your
Internet service provider or with special
filtering software. Be aware that posting
messages to chat rooms reveals your child's
email address to others.
- Monitor your
credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar
account charges.
- Find out what, if
any, online protection is offered by your
child's school, after-school center,
friends' homes, or any place where he or she
could use a computer without your
supervision.
- Take your child
seriously if he or she reports an
uncomfortable online exchange.
- Forward copies of
obscene or threatening messages you or your
child receives to your Internet service
provider.
- Call the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children at
(800) 843-5678 if you are aware of the
transmission, use, or viewing of child
pornography online. Contact your local law
enforcement agency or the FBI if your child
has received child pornography via the
Internet.
Many sites use
"cookies," devices that track specific
information about the user, such as name, email
address, and shopping preferences. Cookies can
be disabled. Ask your Internet service provider
for more information.
It's also a good idea
to set up some simple rules for your kids to
follow while they're using the Internet. These
rules may include:
- Follow the rules
you set, as well as those set by your
Internet service provider.
- Never trade
personal photographs in the mail or scanned
photographs over the Internet.
- Never reveal
personal information, such as address, phone
number, or school name or location. Use only
a screen name. Never agree to meet anyone
from a chat room in person.
- Never respond to a
threatening email or message.
- Always tell a
parent about any communication or
conversation that was scary.
- If your child has
a new "friend," insist on being "introduced"
online to that friend.
