INTERNET SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS

Like most parents, you probably have rules for how your children should deal with strangers -- which TV shows, movies and videos they are allowed to watch; what stores they are allowed to enter; and where and how far from home they are allowed to travel.  It is important to make similar rules for your children’s internet usage and to be aware of their online activities. You may want to set a timer to enforce allowed time daily on the internet. Make sure your children adhere to the following rules to help ensure that their experiences on the Internet are safe

·      Never give out personal information (including name, home address, phone number, age, race, family income, school name or location or friends’ names) or use a credit card online without parental permission.

·         Never share a password, even with friends.

·         Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone who was met online unless parents approve of the meeting and go with the child to a public place.

·         Never respond to messages that make the child feel confused or uncomfortable. Your child should ignore the sender, end the communication and tell parents or another trusted adult immediately.

·         Never use foul language or send mean messages online. Never send pictures of yourself without checking with parents first.

Helps in Limiting Children to Appropriate Content on the Internet:

• Make sure your children understand what you consider appropriate for them.  What kinds of sites are they welcome to visit? What areas are off limits? How much time can they spend and when?  Set clear, reasonable rules and consequences for breaking them. If rules are broken, enforce the consequences.
• Make online exploration a family activity.  Have your children teach you about their favorite on-line destinations. Put the computer in the living room or family room, not your child’s bedroom.  This helps you monitor what your child is doing.
• Pay attention to games your older children might download or copy.  Some are violent or contain sexual content.
• Talk with your children about possible on-line dangers and sexual victimization.  Make sure they know that people they meet online are not always who they say they are and that online information is not necessarily private.  Use of chat rooms, especially, should be heavily monitored by parents.
• Look into software or online services that offer parental controls to filter offensive materials and sites.  Often controls to filter content are available at no additional cost. Be aware, however, that children are often computer literate enough to get around these restrictions.  Nothing can replace your supervision and involvement.
• Find out what the Internet use policy is at your local library and at your child’s school.

These are just a few ways to monitor what your children are doing when they are online.  The Lutheran Counseling Center has a more in-depth seminar available to your congregation or parents’ group that includes information about setting up a contract with your child regarding internet usage, warning signs that your child could be a target for victimization on the internet, and what to do in case of “cyber-bullying” or sexual exploitation.  A helpful website for parents is: http://www.fbi.gov/ . Once there, click onto ‘Be Crime Smart, --More protections’ on the left hand side. This page will have a helpful parents’ guide and resources for dealing with cyber-bullying and other internet abuses if you should need it.

 

INTERNET SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS

Like most parents, you probably have rules for how your children should deal with strangers -- which TV shows, movies and videos they are allowed to watch; what stores they are allowed to enter; and where and how far from home they are allowed to travel.  It is important to make similar rules for your children’s internet usage and to be aware of their online activities. You may want to set a timer to enforce allowed time daily on the internet. Make sure your children adhere to the following rules to help ensure that their experiences on the Internet are safe

·      Never give out personal information (including name, home address, phone number, age, race, family income, school name or location or friends’ names) or use a credit card online without parental permission.

·         Never share a password, even with friends.

·         Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone who was met online unless parents approve of the meeting and go with the child to a public place.

·         Never respond to messages that make the child feel confused or uncomfortable. Your child should ignore the sender, end the communication and tell parents or another trusted adult immediately.

·         Never use foul language or send mean messages online. Never send pictures of yourself without checking with parents first.

Helps in Limiting Children to Appropriate Content on the Internet:

• Make sure your children understand what you consider appropriate for them.  What kinds of sites are they welcome to visit? What areas are off limits? How much time can they spend and when?  Set clear, reasonable rules and consequences for breaking them. If rules are broken, enforce the consequences.
• Make online exploration a family activity.  Have your children teach you about their favorite on-line destinations. Put the computer in the living room or family room, not your child’s bedroom.  This helps you monitor what your child is doing.
• Pay attention to games your older children might download or copy.  Some are violent or contain sexual content.
• Talk with your children about possible on-line dangers and sexual victimization.  Make sure they know that people they meet online are not always who they say they are and that online information is not necessarily private.  Use of chat rooms, especially, should be heavily monitored by parents.
• Look into software or online services that offer parental controls to filter offensive materials and sites.  Often controls to filter content are available at no additional cost. Be aware, however, that children are often computer literate enough to get around these restrictions.  Nothing can replace your supervision and involvement.
• Find out what the Internet use policy is at your local library and at your child’s school.

These are just a few ways to monitor what your children are doing when they are online.  The Lutheran Counseling Center has a more in-depth seminar available to your congregation or parents’ group that includes information about setting up a contract with your child regarding internet usage, warning signs that your child could be a target for victimization on the internet, and what to do in case of “cyber-bullying” or sexual exploitation.  A helpful website for parents is: http://www.fbi.gov/ . Once there, click onto ‘Be Crime Smart, --More protections’ on the left hand side. This page will have a helpful parents’ guide and resources for dealing with cyber-bullying and other internet abuses if you should need it.