Keeping Kids Safe Online

Keeping Kids Safe Online

You wouldn’t dream of dropping your 8-year-old off at the shopping mall unsupervised. But every day, thousands of children use computers, roaming cyberspace completely unprotected. As a parent, it’s your job to safeguard your children by giving them the right combination of information and supervision when they venture online.

Online risks such as a loss of privacy, exposure to objectionable material, and financial scams or frauds can be encountered in chat rooms, on interactive sites and via e-mail, says Natalie Walker Whitlock, author of A Parent’s Guide to the Internet.

"The risks and challenges the Internet presents are understandably scary, but parents need not overreact or feel powerless," Whitlock says. In fact, an educated, involved parent is the best protection a child has against online risks. So take responsibility for your child’s education and guidance.

The first step to raising a child with "cyber street smarts" is developing a family contract for online safety. This agreement, signed by your child and posted near the computer, states that the child will follow basic safety rules while surfing the Web. Rules may include:

• Do not give out any personal information online.

• Do not agree to get together with someone met online without checking with a parent.

• Meet online friends in a public place and bring a parent with you.

• Do not send pictures over the Internet.

• Do not give out or share passwords.

• Do not open e-mail attachments.

Content filters and monitoring devices can track your child’s online activities. However, none is 100-percent effective, and they’re best used along with your own "monitoring devices"—your eyes, ears and continued communication with your child.

Other basics rules to keep your child safe online include:

• Keep the computer in an open space where you can see what your child is doing.

• Set appropriate limits regarding the amount of time spent on the Internet and the activities done online.

• Surf with your child and know his online friends.

• Check your child’s online history and monitor his e-mail.

• Be aware of "red flags" that may indicate a problem. If your child shuts off the computer when you enter the room or gets defensive when asked questions, it’s time to look closer.

Monitoring your child’s online activities and talking to him about potential risks is as basic and important as buckling a seatbelt when you drive in a car. In both cases, you’ll be navigating the streets in safety.

Mary Dixon Lebeau is a freelance writer in Woodbury, N.J.

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