ONLINE SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS

Children have an ever-increasing presence on the Internet. Your child can most likely access newsgroups, email, chat rooms, social networking sites, instant messaging and websites from their home computer, or even the library computer.

Be aware that computers aren’t the only way your child is getting online. Cellphones, gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, etc) and personal digital assistants are Internet enabled so you can play games or chat with anyone, anywhere.

Cellphones are being used to text message friends, surf the Internet, and send emails. Texting is the second most popular thing teens do with their cellphone. Many of the cellphones have built in cameras, which makes it possible for your child to take and send pictures or videos to anyone.

It is important to understand the risks associated with your child accessing the Internet, and the steps you can take to reduce those risks.

Be involved.

Consider activities you can work on together, whether it be playing a game, researching a topic you had been talking about (e.g., family vacation spots, a particular hobby, a historical figure), or putting together a family newsletter. This will allow you to supervise your child's online activities while teaching her good computer habits.

Keep your computer in an open area.

If your computer is in a high-traffic area, you will be able to easily monitor the computer activity. Not only does this accessibility deter a child from doing something she knows she's not allowed to do, it also gives you the opportunity to intervene if you notice a behavior that could have negative consequences.

Young children shouldn't use chat rooms.

The dangers are too great.  As children get older, direct them towards well-monitored kids' chat rooms.  Even your teens should be encouraged to use monitored chat rooms.

If your children take part in chat rooms, make sure you know which ones they visit and with whom they talk.

Monitor the chat areas yourself to see what kinds of conversations take place.

When your children are young, they should share the family e-mail address rather than have their own e-mail accounts.

As they get older, you can ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to set up a separate e-mail address, but your children's mail can still reside in your account.

Set rules and warn about dangers.

Make sure your child knows the boundaries of what she is allowed to do on the computer. These boundaries should be appropriate for the child's age, knowledge, and maturity, but they may include rules about how long she is allowed to be on the computer, what sites she is allowed to visit, what software programs she can use, and what tasks or activities she is allowed to do. You should also talk to children about the dangers of the internet so that they recognize suspicious behavior or activity. The goal isn't to scare them; it's to make them more aware.

Monitor computer activity.

Be aware of what your child is doing on the computer, including which web sites she is visiting. If she is using email, instant messaging, or chat rooms, try to get a sense of who she is corresponding with and whether she actually knows them.

For places outside your supervision (public library, school, friends' homes)

Find out what computer safeguards are used.

Keep lines of communication open.

Let your child know that she can approach you with any questions or concerns about behaviors or problems she may have encountered on the computer.

Consider partitioning your computer into separate accounts.

Most operating systems (including Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux) give you the option of creating a different user account for each user. If you're worried that your child may accidentally access, modify, and/or delete your files, you can give her a separate account and decrease the amount of access and number of privileges she has.

If you don't have separate accounts, you need to be especially careful about your security settings. In addition to limiting functionality within your browser, avoid letting your browser remember passwords and other personal information. Also, it is always important to keep your virus definitions up to date.

Consider implementing parental controls.

You may be able to set some parental controls within your browser. For example, Internet Explorer allows you to restrict or allow certain web sites to be viewed on your computer, and you can protect these settings with a password. To find those options, click Tools on your menu bar, select Internet Options..., choose the Content tab, and click the Enable... button under Content Advisor.

There are other resources you can use to control and/or monitor your child's online activity. Some ISPs offer services designed to protect children online. Contact your ISP to see if any of these services are available. There are also special software programs you can install on your computer. Different programs offer different features and capabilities, so you can find one that best suits your needs. The following web sites offer lists of software, as well as other useful information about protecting children online:

GetNetWise

http://kids.getnetwise.org/

Click Tools for Families to reach a page that allows you to search for software based on characteristics like what the tool does and what operating system you have on your computer.

Yahooligans! Parents' Guide

http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/parents/

Click Blocking and Filtering under Related Websites on the left sidebar to reach a list of software.

Google your child's name.

Make sure nobody has posted threatening or potentially harmful information about your child online.  Make sure to look for your child's name, screen name, email address, telephone and cell phone numbers, address and nick names.  STOP cyberbullying.org tells you how to "Google Yourself!" to find out how to set up an alert to let you know whenever anything is posted online about your child.

Sources:

Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder

Copyright 2005 Carnegie Mellon University Terms of use