Anyone who is online is exposed to contact with strangers. Those who have a page on social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook are even more likely to be contacted by unknown people who are unethical or dangerous. Sadly, it is children who are at greatest risk from these Internet predators. These online ‘bad guys’ seek out children that are lonely, vulnerable, or rebellious. Many of them have learned exactly what to say when they are corresponding with the young person, and they are adept at making the child or teen feel like they understand them and care for them.
To kids, the Internet is a Wonderland – a place to do all sorts of fun things and of course, to meet new people. That’s why it is critical that parents teach their children the ‘dos and don’ts’ of being online, and how to recognize the signs that someone may be dangerous.
Explain to children that someone online can act like they are the same age as your child when they may be any age. Ideally, your child would never converse with strangers online and only talk to friends they know. If they won’t agree to never communicate with strangers, you can block them from using certain websites or review their online activity and emails on a regular basis.
It is extremely important to be sure your kids follow the rule of not giving out their contact information or any info that would help a predator find them. Make sure your kids know to never give their street address, last name, or phone number and not to post these things on their profiles on websites. They shouldn’t even say what school they go to. It is a challenge, but you must explain the reasons for this in a way that doesn’t scare the child. Let them know that just like there are in any city or town, there are bad people in the Internet world too, and while most people are friendly and mean no harm, it only takes one bad person to possibly hurt them.
Teach kids to ‘not believe everything they hear’ online. For example, in a chat room, a “15-year-old girl from New York” may be a 45-year-old man from Chicago. If possible, keep your kids from using chat rooms at all.
Encourage your child or teen to talk to you or a trusted adult friend or family member when they are feeling depressed, angry or rebellious. Explain why this is much better and safer than conversing with a seemingly ‘concerned and caring’ new friend met on the Internet.
Tell children that you’ll reward them for telling you if someone is harassing them online or is speaking or acting inappropriately. Explain that by reporting this person, they could be saving themselves or another child from harm.
There is actually an Internet Safety Tip Line where you can ask questions and report any ‘creeps’ that you meet online. The number is 1-877-5CYBER3.
There is also parental control software that you can install on your child’s PC or Mac. One is called “Net Nanny”, and you can find it and others just by doing a search for parental control software on Google or Yahoo.
If you like, you can order a Free Internet Safety Kit for your child, by following this link:
http://pollyklaasaction.org/campaign/internet_safety_kit
There are many tips and guidelines for helping your children and teens stay safe on the Internet. And this is one of the great things about the Internet – that this information is readily available. Do your own online research on the topic of Internet safety and review the safety tips with your children. It is a wise investment of your time and even though they may not appreciate it now, they’ll be thankful when they are older that their parents worked so hard to keep them safe.