Child Internet Safety Tips

A significant majority of American children are now online. While the Internet abounds with wonderful learning and communication opportunities, it also provides criminals with unlimited possibilities. Pedophiles visit Internet chatrooms and websites in search of lonely, rebellious, trusting or adventurous youngsters.

Given the anonymous nature of chatrooms and e-mail, predators can pretend to be any age or gender. This makes it easier to befriend youngsters and obtain information like a child's real name, where they live, what school they attend, even personal details about their family.

The Internet Predator may expose youngsters to messages or images with adult content and may convince them to share intimate images of themselves. He truly becomes dangerous if (1) he succeeds in learning a child's name, address, or other personal information or (2) he manages to arrange a private, in-person meeting with the youngster. Kids who have agreed to such meetings have been robbed, beaten, raped and worse.

QUICK LINK: Download the free Family Online Safety Pact

How to Keep Your Children Safe in Cyberspace:

• Remind children that online friends may not always be what they seem.
• Explain the importance of NEVER giving out personal information online: including full name, address, phone number, or name/location of school. Youngsters who want to enter a contest or register to enter a new site should always get a parent's permission first and make sure the offer is legitimate.
• Be alert for articles and television news stories concerning Internet crime. Discuss these cases with your youngster to reinforce that precautions must be taken while online.

Sample Online Chat Acronyms: A/S/L = "Age, Sex, Location" BRB = "Be Right Back" CTN = "Can’t Talk Now" IMO = "In My Opinion" LOL = "Laughing Out Loud" LMIRL = "Let’s Meet in Real Life" POS = "Parents Over Shoulder" SA = "Sibling Alert/Sibling Nearby" TA = "Teacher Alert" P911 = "Parent(s) Entering Room" (Learn More @ NetLingo.com)

• Stress to your child the importance of telling you or another trusted adult about any threatening or inappropriate e-mail, images and websites. Report these immediately to www.cybertipline.com and your Internet Service Provider.
• Warn children not to send digital or scanned photographs or other images of themselves to online friends.
• When filling out a service provider profile or choosing a screen name, children should take care not to identify themselves as a child or offer any insight into their personal life.
• Familiarize yourself with the Internet, e-mail, and chatrooms and know how they work.
• Supervise youngsters online, much as you monitor what they watch on television or video.
• Situate computers in high visibility areas of your home – the kitchen or family room – and view the screen at regular intervals.
• Limit use of webcams to when and where you can closely monitor how they are being used.
• Be alert to the use of secretive Internet chat/texting acronyms (see box upper right).

• Equip your computer(s) with filtering software for restricting children’s access to inappropriate areas of the Internet. Be sure to read the software manual and pick a unique password, as kids of all ages pride themselves on being able to bypass these controls!
• Ask your child to agree to and sign the Child Lures Prevention Family Online Safety Pact.