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Tips for
Parents |
| 1. Monitor your child's
Internet use consistently. This is not a violation of your
child's privacy; this is a safeguarding measure and part of your
responsibility as a parent |
| 2. If your child belongs to a
social networking site (MySpace, Facebook, Tagged, Xanga, etc),
look closely at what information they have posted in their
members profiles and blogs, including photos and videos.
Predators, bullies, profanity, and threats often occur in these
types of sites. |
| 3. Find out what other website
your child's social networking site is linked to.
Sometimes your child's web pages may be safe but they may be
linked to a site which could endanger them ( a pornographic
site, a site in which a friend mentions our child's phone
number, a site slandering school administrators). |
| 4. Talk to your child about
your Internet safety concerns in a positive way and give them
the opportunity to make safety resolutions that you can both
live with (example, how much time can be spent online? Are chat
rooms permitted). |
| 5. Explain that your kids
should: NEVER give our personal information (name, address,
phone number, school name), NEVER meet anyone from online
without your permission, NEVER open emails from unknown senders,
and NEVER share their photo with strangers over the
Internet. Shared photos are an easy way for a predator to
find a child or modify your child's image for pornographic use. |
| 6. Encourage your children to
bring anything strange or upsetting to your attention and don't
overreact when the do (fear of losing Internet privileges is why
kids don't tell parents about problems-and why they may start
the web somewhere else). |
| 7. Stay in touch with your
kid's online activities. Know who their online friends are
(and who is on their buddy list), just as you would their other
friends. |
8. Learn how filtering and
monitoring software can assist you in protecting our children
(check with your Internet service provider to find out if
filtering or monitoring is available for free with your
provider). However, don't rely completely on software to
protect our children.
Educational and parental involvement are the primary methods
of prevention. |
| 9. Internet accounts should
always be in the parent's name. The parent should maintain
the primary email account and be in charge of all passwords and
parental controls. Kids should never share their passwords
with anyone other than their parents. |
| 10. Notify the police if
someone your child met online starts calling them, sending
gifts, or trying to lure them from home. |
| 11. Check your credit card
statements each month for unusual charges that may indicate that
a stranger or your child is making unauthorized purchases. |
| 12. Don't think of the
Internet as a babysitter. Kids on the Internet need adult
supervision. Keep the computer in a public area of the
house. |
|
Contact information for Web Wise Kids-
phone- 714-435-2885,
email- info@webwisekids.org
or on the web at www.webwisekids.org |
|
Internet sites for parents and your children |
|
www.filterreview.com |
For filtering
Internet sites |
|
www.google.com |
When searching on
Google, click preferences, find the safe search area, click on
"use strict filtering" which will block explicit text and images |
|
www.askforkids.com |
Search engine just
for kids |
|
www.aap.org |
American Academy
of Pediatrics a search for Internet predators |
|
http://www.wiredwithwisdom.org |
WebWiseKids
organization, parent tools and learning information-Wired with
Wisdom School and Family education programs using the MISSING
game |
|
www.missingkids.com |
Resources for parents and children. National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children |
|
 |
www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm |
Safe Kids |
|
www.family.org |
Focus on the
Family |
|
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm |
FBI-for parents |
|
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www.wiredkids.org |
WiredKids |
|
www.blogsafety.com |
Blogging safety |
|
www.protectkids.com/index.html |
Enough is Enough |
|
www.netsmartzkids.org |
Safe site for
children |
|
www.media-awareness.ca/english/games/jocool_jofool/kids.cfm |
Safe site for
children |
|
http://disney.go.com/cybersafety |
Safe site for
children |
|
To visit these
websites you will need to copy and paste the URL address into
your Internet browsers' address field |
