Unfortunately, children are not always safe on the internet. Children who surf the web and post personal information are at risk of being victimized. Potential abusers may try to establish relationships with children via the internet, even posing as children themselves.
Ninety percent of child abusers know the children they molest. [1] Over time they have developed a trusting relationship with their victim. This same relationship building between child and abuser can occur online, but it is less likely to be noticed by parents.
Talk with your children about safe and unsafe practices on the web, and monitor their activity closely. The web is a rapidly changing technology that may provide new opportunities for abusers, it is important to stay informed about your children’s online practices. When we keep watch of our children’s online activities we are not invading; we are protecting.
General Guidelines
• Make sure a site is secure before giving personal information out
• Ask your children to teach you about their online activity (this way they feel they are instructing, not being monitored)
• Do not allow the purchase of anything online (especially using your credit card information)
• Discourage the joining of mailing lists or subscribing to anything over the internet (especially if personal information is required)
• Make sure anti-virus/firewall programs are up to date and always running
• Set time limits for online activity
• Keep computers in a centralized location
Email and Instant Messenger Guidelines
• Make sure you know your child’s usernames and passwords
• Make sure they use an IM service with the ability to warn or flag improper behavior (users are less likely to abuse privileges if it can be lost)
• Warn your child not to send pictures of themselves to strangers
• If your child wants to meet a friend they met online:
* Talk with this friend’s parents beforehand
* Make sure the meeting is in a public place
* Go with your child
• Warn them to never open emails, files, or links from someone they don’t know
Guidelines for Social Network Safety
• If your child belongs to an online social network: (like Facebook or MySpace)
* Talk to them about what they post
* Who they are ‘friends’ with
* About limiting access to their profile
• Ask to see their profile, but give notice (this allows time to delete content, insuring strangers see only what is safe)
• View terms of use on social network sites (they may be too young to have a profile hosted there)
• Read what your child posts online (you have the right, it’s public and not an invasion of privacy)
• Warn your child to never respond to an unfamiliar message, email or posting
• Help your child choose a non-age, gender, or name specific screen name
• Warn your child to never post or share personal information: (full name, address, phone number, school, class schedule)
