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| The Internet has opened up a world of
information for anyone with a computer and a
connection! Your children will learn about
computers. But just as you wouldn't send
children near a busy road without some
safety rules, you shouldn't send them on to
the information superhighway without rules
of the road. Too many dangers from
pedophiles to con artists and reach children
(and adults) through the Internet.
Getting Started
 | Explain that although a person may
be alone in a room using the computer,
once logged on to the Internet, he or
she is no longer alone. People skilled
in using the Internet can find out who
you are and where you are. They can even
tap into information on your computer.
|
| Set aside time to explore the
Internet together. If your child has
some computer experience, let him or her
take the lead. Visit areas of the World
Wide Web that have special site for
children. |
Controlling Access
| The best tool a child has for
screening material found on the Internet
is his or her brain. Teach child about
exploitation, pornography, hate
literature, excessive violence and other
issues that concern you, so they know
how to respond when they see this
material.
|
| Choose a commercial online service
that offers parental control features.
These features can block content that is
not clearly marked as appropriate for
children; chat rooms, bulletin boards,
newsgroups, and discussion groups; or
access to the Internet entirely.
|
| Purchase blocking software and
design your own safety system. Different
packages can black sites by name, search
for unacceptable words and black access
to sites containing those words, block
entire categories of material, and
prevent children from giving out
personal information.
|
| Monitor your children when they're
online and monitor the time they spend
online. If a child becomes uneasy or
defensive when you walk into the room or
when you linger, this could be a sign
that he or she is up to something
unusual or even forbidden. |
Tell Your Children...
| To always let you know immediately
if they find something scary or
threatening on the Internet.
|
| Never to give out their name,
address, telephone number, password,
school name, parent's name or any other
personal information.
|
| Never to agree to meet face to face
with someone they've met online.
|
| Never to respond to messages that
have bad words or seem scary or just
weird.
|
| Never to enter an area that charges
for services without asking you first.
|
| Never send a picture of themselves
to anyone without your permission.
|
What You Can Do In The Community
| Make sure that access to the
Internet at your children's school is
monitored by adults.
|
| Know your children's friends and
their parents. If your child's friend
has Internet access at home, talk to the
parent about the rules they have
established. Find out if the children
are monitored while they are online.
|
| Make sure that your child's school
has an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). This
policy should include a list of
acceptable and unacceptable activities
or resources, information on
"netiquette" (etiquette on the
Internet), consequences for violations
and a place for you and your child to
sign. Your family can design its own AUP
for the home computer. |
| If your child receives threatening
e-mails or pornographic material, save
the offensive material and contact that
user's Internet Service Provider and
your local law enforcement agency.
|
| If you come across sites that are
inappropriate for children when you are
surfing the Net, send the addresses to
online services that offer parental
control features or to sites advertising
protection software to add to their list
to be reviewed for inclusion or
exclusion. Even if you don't subscribe
to the service or own the protection
software, you can help protect other
children.
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