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Updated November 24, 2003

Internet Safety: Guidelines for Parents

It is increasingly important for parents to be aware of their children’s use of online computers. As in any public service there are benefits and there are risks. The benefit of online information is its immediacy, its ease of use, and its convenience (finger strokes away 24 hours a day). The risks involve unscrupulous individuals who prey on the immature in our society. A few rules can make your child’s Internet use the positive experience it is supposed to be. There are filtering and rating services and their use is a personal decision to be made by your family.

Make it a family rule to:

1. Never give out identifying information on-line, name address, phone number. This is information that should only be given to people you know and trust. Age, marital status and financial information should also be kept private.

2. Know the sites that your child uses and screen them. If there is material objectionable to you, find out if you can screen it out.

3. Never let you child arrange a face-to-face meeting with anyone met on the Internet. If a meeting is arranged it should only be with your consent and presence.

4. Do not respond to objectionable messages or bulletin board items. Response is what those individuals seek. Even a negative response is sometimes what they are after. If you receive such messages, inform your provider and ask for their assistance.

Any transmission of child pornography that you become aware of should be immediately reported to your online service and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

5. Teach your child that people online are not necessarily who they represent themselves to be. Anyone can say they are a 12-year-old girl and be something completely different.

6. Everything that you read online is not necessarily true. It is important to know the source or the “authority” behind what is being said. This is especially true for children as they search for information for school reports. Also some offers to adults that seem “too good to be true” probably are not true. Exercise discretion.

7. Set reasonable rules and time limits, for your children. Monitor the usage.

8. Let your children know what they should do if they encounter a problem online.

None of these rules can replace good judgment. No filter or rating service is a substitute for it. Whether or not you have a filtering device on your computer or whether you use rating services, you need to make the final decision on what you allow into your home.

This document is based on information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.