By Sal Petruzelli Marino
By Melina Ann Collison
St. Louis – It is important that you set up basic rules for your child to follow when they start using the Internet. This will make you feel better as well as keep your child safe. Predators lurk everywhere online. From chat rooms to instant messages predators will reach out and try to contact your child.
If you think your child is being contacted by a sexual predator over the Internet call the authorities immediately. Turn off your computer and do not turn it back on. The police will need to gather evidence from your pc.
Basic Internet Rules for Children
- Start by setting a good example and follow the rules you put forth yourself. – If you state that there will be a punishment for disobeying the Internet rules make sure you follow through with handing out that punishment.
- Do not share photos with anyone over the Internet. – This includes MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, game accounts, email accounts, chat rooms, and any other website that your child might belong to.
- When your child meets someone new online you need to be introduced. – Chat with the person over the Internet; ask their name and age.
- Do not reveal your address, phone number, friend’s house location, school name, school activities, or any other piece of personal information. – Telling people personal information only makes it easier for them to locate you.
- Never agree to a meeting with anyone you have met over the Internet. – You never know who is really on the other side of that computer. Teach your child to make wise decisions when using the Internet.
- Tell an adult if you get a threatening email or have a conversation that makes you feel uncomfortable. – Do not let your child respond to these emails or comments. If the comments are threatening or sexual in nature then call the police.
- Do not download or accept photos and videos from an outside source. – Most likely this material is sexually explicit in nature.
- Not everything you read over the Internet is true. – This includes blog posts, Twitter tweets, Facebook messages, and people they meet. Tell them that what people say online is not always reality.
If you educate your child how to correctly utilize the Internet safely they will have a world of knowledge at their fingertips. Remember to communicate with your children about the dangers of online predators. Try to keep the computer in a central location of your house. This way you can monitor their activities while still going about your daily routine.
You may want to share an email account with your child as well. You will be able to supervise who is sending your child messages. If you do not share an email have the password to your child’s email account. You should have the password to all of your child’s online accounts; games, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, instant messages, and chat rooms.
For more info: You can follow the Internet Safety 101 series and learn how to protect your child online.
Internet Safety 101 Series
- Internet Safety 101: I think my child is talking to a sexual predator on the Internet
- Internet Safety 101: What is NetSmartz411?
- Internet Safety 101: What can I do if a predator is talking to my child online?
- Internet Safety 101: How can I keep my child safe from sexual predators?
- Internet Safety 101: What are the signs that my child is being victimized or preyed upon online?
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Comments
Nice rules list. This is a good place to start when you have the Internet safety talk with your kids. Just please don't have the talk and then walk away assuming your kids will listen. You have to remain vigilant and monitor what they do online… e.g. where they go, who they talk to, how they interact with others (read: are they a bully). Not to mention the fact it's just a generally good idea to monitor what your kids do anyway - for their safety... I invite readers to check out our PC Pandora monitoring software: www.pcpandora.com
In the digital age, it is hard to downplay or neglect the importance of KNOWLEDGE.
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