Though the Web is a fun and educational resource for children and teens, it can also put them in danger – without them or their parents even knowing it.
“Online chat rooms, instant messaging, message boards and Web communities, such as MySpace.com and others, allow child predators to disguise themselves as kids’ peers, putting children in harms way right in their own homes,” explains Susan Hirtz, manager for Texas Children’s Center for Childhood Injury Prevention. “Parents would never allow their child to befriend a pedophile, but that’s just what they may be doing online, and most kids – and their parents – don’t have a clue.”
Just as parents give children rules for dealing with strangers and which TV shows, movies and videos to watch, it’s important to set rules for using the Internet.
“Many parents mistakenly think children are safer online since they are at home on the computer, but we now know of numerous reports of children and teens who go willingly to meet ‘Internet friends’ who turn out to be child predators pretending to be someone they are not,” Hirtz says.
To keep kids’ time on the Internet safe and fun, follow these guidelines:
- Set limits on the amount of time spent online each day or week.
- Do not let surfing the Web take the place of playing outside or with friends.
- Do not let a child give out personal information – such as name, age, address, phone number, school, city, and school or work schedules. They should be told not to complete questionnaires or online forms or post personal information on Web communities.
- Make sure your child understands that if he or she gives your phone number to someone online, that person can easily find your address and get a map to your home.
- Do not allow a child to use a credit card online.
- Instruct kids never to enter chat rooms without a parent being present or without their supervision.
- Talk honestly about the dangers and explain that adults with bad intentions may be posing as kids to befriend and ultimately harm them.
- Tell a child never to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone met online.
- Tell children to never send a picture over the Internet or via regular mail to someone they’ve met on the Internet.
- Tell a child never to respond to confusing or uncomfortable messages, and encourage them to share any experiences with you that concern them.
- Instruct a child never to share his or her passwords.
Hirtz reminds parents to keep computers in common household areas and to have ongoing conversations with children about who they are communicating with online.
And, she offers one final warning to parents: Don’t make the mistake of relying solely on Web filtering and monitoring software to do your job.
“Though it’s helpful, parents should not rely solely on Web filtering and monitoring software to keep kids safe,” she explains. “They need to talk to their kids regularly about what they are doing online as well off to keep the lines of communication open so that if a problem does arise, children – especially teens – feel safe turning to parents for help.”
For more information on keeping kids safe online, Hirtz recommends the following Web sites:
