Please teach your children these online safety measures, set limits on the amount of time your children are allowed to spend online—much the same way television viewing is limited—and supervise your children's time here.
Protecting Your Kids
To help your children have positive online experiences, it's important to direct them to safe places on the Web (see "Web Resources for Families" below) and help them stay clear of negative situations. Kids who get into danger online are almost always the ones whose parents have not taken an active role in their online experience. The good news is that you as a parent can do a lot to keep your kids safe by making them "cyber-smart." Just be sure to cover these bases with your kids:
Discuss safety in cyberspace. Many children are drawn to the Web for its potential to build relationships, but they know little or nothing about its potential dangers. Parents might wish to use the Internet with their kids or direct them toward positive websites to get them started.
Use monitored chat rooms. If you want your children to participate in online chat, insist that they only participate in chat rooms monitored by approved adults trained to keep conversations appropriate. Remember that not all people online are who they say they are. (Please note: ChristianityToday.com does not provide chat and message boards for kids at this time because of the difficulty in prescreening for personally identifiable information.)
Keep the computer in view. Children who use the Internet with parents in view are less likely to engage in dangerous conversations.
Keep personal information private. Tell your kids not to disclose any personal information (e.g., last name, city, gender, age, school name, picture) during an online chat or instant messaging time, or in their personal profile. Also, don't allow them to send their picture, passwords, or any credit card information over the Internet without getting your permission.
Stay at home! Never allow your kids to personally meet anyone they meet online.
Report suspicious incidents. If your children feel they are being stalked online, contact law enforcement officials and your Internet service provider immediately. Parents can call the FBI's Cyber Tipline (800/843-5678) if they suspect that their children are involved in a potentially dangerous situation.
Seek software help. Software can help you control your children's access to potentially hazardous areas in cyberspace. These Web "filters" block objectionable websites, chat rooms, and other areas online that are inappropriate for your children.
Use special ISPs. A number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), some of them Christian companies, block objectionable websites before they reach your computer without requiring separate filtering software. You don't need a separate Web filter once you have one of these filtered ISPs. For more information on filtering software and filtered ISPs, visit GetNetWise (www.getnetwise.org), an Internet industry initiative to keep the Web safe for families.
Our parting advice is this: be aware. If you take some simple steps, you can rest easy and enjoy the Internet along with your kids.
Additional Resources
Check out these links for more information about kids' online safety and privacy policies.
Visit GetNetWise, an Internet industry initiative to keep the Web safe for families.
If you are an AOL member, click here to learn more about AOL's Parental Controls.
About Links to Other Websites
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