Part I

Internet safety for kids has become a high priority for parents. And, while kids are out of school for the summer, Internet usage is probably at an all time high. According to Mike Phillips, a special agent with Florida Department of Law Enforcement, while all kids are at risk of being targeted by predators, girls ages 10-14 years old are statistically the most vulnerable. That means, parents need to be very vigilant of what kids are doing on-line, and that they are teaching Internet safety for kids.

Have an on-going conversation with your kids, regarding where they are going and with whom they are chatting. Gather information so that you can assess how safe they are being on-line. Discuss the kind of information they are putting in their profiles, whether they are posting photos, what their screen name(s) is/are, what their passwords are and how private they are and any uncomfortable materials or conversations they have come upon. Additionally, any social network site such as MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, Tumblr, etc. that they are on have different rules for profiles, postings and how others have access to their pages. Make sure that each of these sites is also secure and complying with the rules you put in place for Internet safety for kids.  Also, be aware of which of your kids’ electronic devices have Internet access: Game systems, Ipads, Ipods, cell phones, etc. all have the capacity for on-line contact…this means that they also have to be monitored for Internet safety for kids.

A recent article by Desiree Stennett in the Orlando News Sentinel gave some very practical basic rules for Internet safety for kids:

Internet safety for kids

• Best tips for kids:

• Never give out      personal information. This includes full last name, address, phone      number…and even things such as where they go to school or where they like      to hang out.
• Use a neutral      screen name. A child’s user name should not give out any personal      information such as age, grade and preferably even not gender.
• Don’t post      pictures on-line for public viewing. Technology today can actually figure      out the location of where a photo was taken; this could help predators      locate a child. Additionally, photos can be altered and also shared with      others.
• Don’t trust      people you meet on-line. Many people are not who they say they are.      Predators, for instance, like to claim to be kids’ ages when they could be      older adults
• If you come      across anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell your parents. This can      include pictures, messages or requests.

• Best tips for parents:

• Create rules for      Internet use in your home. Set rules and guidelines including amount of      time your kids can be on the computer, which sites they are allowed to      visit, etc.
• Know what your      kids are doing on-line. Check the Internet history to see which sites your      kids are visiting; put child or adolescent filters on all computers; use      monitoring software such as Spectorsoft, etc. Have your kids’ passwords      and usernames, “friend’ them on Facebook, MySpace, tumblr, etc.
•  Don’t      allow solitary computer usage. Keep the computer in a common area of the      house. Don’t allow your kids to be on the Internet in their rooms.
• Be aware of whom      your kids are chatting with, friending, etc. Be clear about whether your      kids are allowed to chat with people they don’t know (i.e.-when gaming or      in specific chat rooms.) Have them be able to identify to your      satisfaction anyone they are talking to on-line.
• Don’t rely      solely on technology to protect your kids. Talk with your kids about the      on-line dangers and what safeguards you have taken to insure Internet      safety for kids.
• If you agree to      let your kids meet an on-line friend in person, go with them. Meet in a      public place and let the friend know that you will be accompanying your      kids.

The basic keys to insuring Internet safety for kids are: Communicate with your kids regularly and be vigilant about their on-line practices.

How about you? What are you doing to insure Internet safety for kids?

warning extreme danger by Attribution-NoDerivs License

AUTHOR OVERVIEW

Dr. Vicki Panaccione Child Psychologist and Parenting Expert

Dr. Vicki Panaccione has been called, “The World’s Expert in Parenting,” and “The Oprah Winfrey of Families.” She is an internationally recognized child psychologist, speaker, parent coach, best-selling author and radio personality who has dedicated her 25 year career working with 100’s of children and helping 1000’s of parents raise happy, successful kids…and enjoy the ride! Visit her online at http://www.betterparentinginstitute.com/.

Tags: facebook pictures, Internet, kids, online, protecting kids online, protection, Safety, sexcasting, tumblr