Clear, simple, easy-to-read house rules should be posted on or
near the monitor. Create your own computer rules or print the Internet
safety pledge at www.netsmartz.org/resources/pledge.htm. The pledge can
be signed by adults and children and should be periodically reviewed.
Look into safeguarding programs or options your online service provider
might offer. These may include monitoring or filtering capabilities.
Always read a website's privacy policy before giving any personal
information. Also make sure that a website offers a secure connection before
giving credit-card information.
Websites for children are not permitted to request personal information
without a parent's permission.
Talk to children about what personal information
is and why you should never give it to people online.
If children use chat or e-mail, talk to them about never meeting
in person with anyone they first "met" online.
Talk to children about not responding to offensive or dangerous e-mail,
chat, or other communications. Report any such communication to local law
enforcement. Do not delete the offensive or dangerous e-mail; turn off
the monitor, and contact local law enforcement.
Keep the computer in the family room or another open area of your
home.
Get informed about computers and the Internet. Visit www.netsmartz.org/resources/resources.htm
to find additional information on Internet safety.
Let children show you what they can do online, and visit their favorite
sites.
Have children use child-friendly search engines when completing homework.
Know who children are exchanging e-mail with, and only let them use
chat areas when you can supervise. NetSmartz recommends limiting chatroom
access to child-friendly chat sites.
Be aware of any other computers your child may be using.
Internet accounts should be in the parent's name with parents having
the primary screenname, controlling passwords, and using blocking and/or
filtering devices.
Children should not complete a profile for a service provider and
children's screennames should be nondescript so as not to identify that
the user is a child.
Talk to children about what to do if they see something that makes
them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Show them how to turn off
the monitor and emphasize that it's not their fault if they see something
upsetting. Remind children to tell a trusted adult if they see something that
bothers them online.
Consider using filtering or monitoring software for your computer.
Filtering products that use whitelisting, which only allows a child access
to a preapproved list of sites, are recommended. NetSmartz does not advocate
using filters only; education is a key part of prevention. Visit www.netsmartz.org/resources/resources.htm section for web sites that provide information on filtering or blocking
software.
If you suspect online "stalking" or sexual exploitation
of a child, report it to your local law-enforcement agency. The National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has a system for identifying
online predators and child pornographers and contributing to law-enforcement
investigations. It's called the CyberTipline® and is located at www.cybertipline.com.
Leads forwarded to the site will be acknowledged and shared with the appropriate
law-enforcement agency for investigation.
