Protecting our Children on Social Networks

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Advice for parents: Protecting your child from online exploitation Seven basic safety tips to help keep kids safer online Warning signs that your child may be at risk of online exploitation What to do if you suspect your child is communicating with a sexual predator Remember, the victim is never at fault Sample Internet Safety Contract for Families

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with concern about keeping children and teens safe on the Internet. Some of the news stories may leave you with a panicked feeling that makes you want to block your kids from everything online. Or you may feel like you don’t know enough about everything you can see and do on the Internet to even begin to protect your kids adequately.
The good news is that you already know a great deal about keeping your children safe, and it’s easy to apply that knowledge in the online world. (Keep in mind, too, that the majority of people online are as good and well-intentioned as you are.)
So, read on for advice about how to help your child stay safe online, warning signs that he or she may be at risk, and what to do if you suspect your child is communicating with a predator.

Advice for parents: Protecting your child from online exploitation

You’ve taught your children about who they share personal or family information with – for example, that it’s inappropriate to shout out your phone number to random people on the street or to tell callers that their parents aren’t home. You know to stop the newspaper delivery (or have a neighbor collect it) when you’re on vacation so your house doesn’t become a target for thieves. Applying this same caution and good sense online will go a long way to protecting your young Internet adventurers.
Learn how to use the tools your kids are using-blogs, e-mail, instant messaging, and so on. If this seems overwhelming, its a great opportunity to ask your kids to show you how they work. Let them help you to set up your own blog, get started with instant messaging, play with searches, or teach you whatever it is you don’t yet know how to do.
Once you’ve got a sense of how the tools and services work, evaluate them for safety. For example, consider these questions:

• Does the service easily allow you to report abuse?
• Does the service provide clear instructions for how to be safe?
• Are there a range of options that let you make your information as private-or as public-as you like? For example, can you control the privacy of your blog, or specify who can see your instant message contact information?

Learn More Teach yourself about online safety:

• Familiarize yourself with the info on this Web site. Take time to practice spotting the risks.
• Check out other great resources like http://www.netsmartz.org/, http://www.wiredsafety.com/, and http://staysafe.org/.

Seven basic safety tips to help keep kids safer online

Internet safety isn’t something you can effectively impose on anyone over the age of ten. Effective safety is something we do together because everyone has a vested interest in being safe. If youth don’t buy into your safety goals they’ll quickly find ways around them.
Fortunately, youth have a basic sense of self preservation most of the time. They don’t want to be had or ripped off or abused by some scammer, thief, or predator. When they realize their actions may place not only themselves, but their family members or friends at risk, they pay considerable attention.
So use the following tips as guidelines to help your kids have fun on the Internet-safely.

1. Talk to your child about potential risks online through their computer, game console and cell phone. (To get up to speed on the risks of gaming, read Chapter 13, “Use Common Sense When Gaming with Others” in Look Both Ways.
2. Spend time online with your children. See where they surf; understand their interests.
3. Keep the computer (and Xbox) in a central location such as the family room or kitchen.
4. Check out and use family safety software (parental controls) to help monitor, manage, or even block your kids’ Internet use.
5. Make it clear that together you will randomly check their communications and blogs to help ensure that their safety and the family’s safety is not at risk
6. Check out the safeguards on other computers your child uses-at his or her school, the public library, and the homes of your child’s friends.
7. Teach children and youth the basics of online safety. Set clear usage guidelines and consequences if the rules are broken. You might find an Internet Safety Contract for Families helpful in setting these boundaries.
   1. Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met online.
   2. Never post pictures of themselves to people they do not personally know.
   3. Never give out identifying information such as address or phone number.
   4. Never download pictures from an unknown source as there is a good chance they will be sexually explicit.
   5. Never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing.
   6. Be suspicious of information you see online-it may or may not be true.