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Keeping Your Child Safe on the
Internet
The advent of the Internet has opened the world to us all and brought
the world together. Unfortunately, sometimes it brings the wrong sort of
people to our door. Parents need to realize that just as they lock their
doors and windows at night to keep criminals out, the Internet can be
used as an open door to people who would fill our homes with garbage, or
take advantage of our children's innocence.
It is the parents responsibility to be ever vigilant and ensure the
Internet is a safe and enjoyable place for our children, and the best
way to do that is to:
- Set rules and boundaries for the use of the internet.
- Implement safeguards to keep your children from safe.
Setting Rules
- One of the first rules that children learn in life is don't
talk to strangers. Children are not yet able to discern
someone's intent, and are by nature, very trusting. This makes them
an easy target for predators. This rule also should apply to the
internet. In our home our children are not allowed to use chat rooms
of any sort, nor use any instant messaging, as they do not know who
is on the other side of the computer.
- The computer should be stationed in a highly trafficked part
of the house so parents can supervise the activity of their
children. It is much harder to supervise Internet activity if the
computer is in the child's bedroom or a den.
- Time on the computer should be limited to doing something
specific such as researching homework, or playing a game (for a
limited time). This rule serves a two-fold purpose. It keeps the
child from spending too much time indoors which can have health
complications. But it also cuts down on bored-surfing, which is
where a child is on the computer doing nothing but surfing around.
This can lead to a child stumbling across a site that is
inappropriate.
Implement Safeguards
- There are several good filtering software products
that help parents keep track of their computer usage and protect
their children. Some cost money and other are free.
One of the best and most popular filtering software
products is K9. It is also free.
http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ Net Nanny is on
of the original filtering software companies. They
charge for their service, but they constantly rate as
the best.
http://www.netnanny.com/
- Keeping track of computer history and chat
transcripts. All internet browsers have an option to
keep track of the sites that have been visited. If you
suspect your child may be visiting inappropriate sites, you
can look to see where they have been. However, the browsers
also have the option to delete all the history so if you
find that the history on a browser has been deleted, this is
a sign that someone may not want you to know where they have
been. In our home we have a standing rule that no one is
allowed to delete the history without permission first.
The Internet can and should be a safe and enjoyable place
for children and parents alike. By taking a few simple steps
and utilizing some caution, parents can have the peace of
mind that their children are safe. |
