Child Internet Safety

Child safety on the Internet: Tips to help parents keep kids safe

Today, most kids in Western society have access to the Internet. The majority of people consider this a good thing because the Internet holds a vast amount of information, opens up a whole new social world and brings together people from all over the planet. However, these very same aspects are reasons for parents to worry about what their children do on the Internet and what kind of people they meet.

Here are six tips for parents to keep their kids safe online:

1. Set rules. First and foremost, it's important that you, as the parent (and just as in any other situation), provide clear rules for your children to follow when on the Internet. Ask the children what they're interested in doing and, from there, agree on what they're allowed to do and where they're allowed to go.
2. Be helpful and trustworthy. Let the children know that, should anything uncomfortable appear, they can and should ask you for advice. Help your children understand what suitable content is and how to deal with unwanted material.
3. Know the situation. Most grownups are used to the Internet, but what you do on the Web is probably not the same as what your children do online. Take the time to check out the sites they visit and get to know them better. You can't help your children unless you know what their sites are all about.
4. Share passwords. While it is still important that you allow your children to have privacy even on the Internet, some children and their parents may agree to share the children's passwords so the parents can see what the children are doing. However, this won't work for all families, and it's better to trust your children than to constantly keep track of their activities behind their back.
5. Inform. Inform the children about what issues may occur when they’re online. If the children know what to look out for, chances are actions can be taken based on their own judgment.

Guidelines

The following guidelines are excellent things to teach your children before letting them spend time on the Internet by themselves. By following these, the children will be well protected against various negative sides of the Internet:

• Don't agree to meet people in real life that you've met on the Internet.
• Don't give out any information such as phone numbers, addresses or passwords to people you meet on the Internet.
• Ask a parent for advice if you're unsure of a situation.

By following the above tips and teaching your children the guidelines, you make the Internet a much safer place. While it's important that you know what your children are doing online, the aspect that should carry the most weight is that you, as the parent, can feel safe and know that your children won't get into any kind of trouble. If parents have a healthy attitude towards the Internet, odds are that so will their children.

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this site is good 4 the research of child internet safety thank you 4 the site

Posted on 10/28/2009 10:31:00 AM by Anonymous

this site is awesome

Posted on 10/28/2009 10:30:00 AM by Anonymous

I use a simple internet filter called Ez Internet Timer http://www.internettimer.net. It can stop all kid’s on-line activity and block Internet browsers, e-mails, ftps or messengers according to my daily schedule. Centainly, filters are an important part of Internet safety that all parents should consider for their children, but it’s important that parents understand that filters should be part of a broader protection strategy like described in your article. Keep on good work!

Posted on 5/4/2009 11:52:00 AM by Diane2mom

Just looking for something to help with 10 yr old on internet so she doesn't get into tronble.

Posted on 3/25/2009 8:03:00 PM by Anonymous

this site has wierd name but I think it would be helpful to teens and kids I should know I have some kids of my own

Posted on 1/13/2009 1:51:00 PM by Anonymous

I love this site cause it will teach kids, teen and mom and dad out. i hope you keep it up. i love T.I ilove you baby nick love chastity anne marie hamilan

Posted on 11/4/2008 11:18:00 AM by Anonymous

you can just open up a microsoft word and copy and paste it to it then you can just print it out and red to your children

Posted on 10/21/2008 4:03:00 PM by Anonymous

You should have somewere i can read to my child some tips, you dont have that. I wish that I could print out something and read it with my family.

Posted on 10/16/2008 1:08:00 PM by Anonymous

i think that the kids shouldn't be on websites they ain't got no business on anyway. Exspecially put off da wrong messge to people.

Posted on 9/9/2008 11:14:00 AM by Anonymous

Every kid should learn good internet skills, regardless as to where the computer is in the house.

Posted on 8/28/2008 8:05:00 PM by Anonymous

Providing supervision and limits are important. However there are many skills that children can learn by navigating the Internet or playing MMOGs (massive multiplayer online games). For more information about how to use the Internet and other digital technologies for teaching see learningworksforkids.com , but most importantly, spend some time with your kids online.

Posted on 8/23/2008 2:27:00 PM by Anonymous

Excellent answer - you are absolutely right! We are all curious, and at times tempted, keeping the family computer in plain site curbs some of that curiosity. It also helps you monitor how much time your kids are spending chating with their friends. Communication is good, but there has to be a limit. Take it back a generation, when our parents had to keep a realistic limit on how long we spent on the phone and watching TV - same issue, new generation.

Posted on 1/16/2008 11:43:00 AM by Anonymous

I think parent should put the computer in public place, like the family room, or the kitchen so they can moniter their kids. The internet is an excellent tool but it can also be very dangereous, it is up to us as parent to keep them save.

Posted on 1/15/2008 9:42:00 PM by Anonymous