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Protect your Kids Online

• Cyber-Safety Tips for Parents & Caregivers
• Online Exploitation: What to Watch For
• Resource Links

Cyber-Safety Tips for Parents & Caregivers

Limiting your children's computer time is not enough to safeguard them on the Internet.  Here are 10 tips you can use to prepare your children for the online world:

Talk to your kids.

One of the most important things you can do to improve your children's online safety is to talk to them. Talk about the benefits and risks of the Internet. Let them know it’s OK to ask you questions or talk to you if they run into problems with someone online.  

Build guidelines and a family agreement around Internet use just as you would for other activities.  The following should be included in your guidelines:

• They should never arrange to meet someone they met online in real life.  If they do, they should take an adult and meet in a public area;
• They should never post pictures of themselves online to people they do not know;
• They should never download pictures from an unknown source; there is a high probability these could be sexually explicit images;
• They should never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent or harassing.
• They should alert an adult immediately if someone is asking them to meet them, or do anything that makes them uncomfortable.
• Link here to a great document that you can print out—the Children’s Bill of Rights on the Internet produced by the Internet Content Rating Association .[1] 

• Never disclose personal details online.

  Talk to your kids about the importance of their personal information and stress that they should never disclose personal details that would allow someone online to contact them in real life.  Things they should not reveal:

  • full name
  • address
  • phone/cell number
  • e-mail address
  • favourite hangouts
  • restaurant
  • sports venues 

Be proactive in finding out who your kids are talking to online by spending time with them on the Internet.

Get them to teach you about their favourite online destinations, things to do and what’s cool.  Spend time online doing family activities. 

Keep your computer in a public area.

Keep your computer in a public area of your house, not in their bedroom or other area that is private.  It is too easy to break guidelines and get involved in potentially dangerous online activities when they can surf without caregiver involvement. 

Reinforce that people online may not be who they say they are. 

Remind them that “anyone can be anybody” on the Internet. 

Consider using parental controls like Internet filters or blocking software.

Always keep in mind that technological controls are not substitutes for your communication and other involvement.  Remember that kids have multiple points of access to the Internet and just because you have protections on your computer does not mean they cannot access it other places. 

Encourage open dialogue with your kids and offer a “No-Questions-Asked” deal as a safety net if they feel they could be in danger. 

Adolescents often make poor decisions that could lead to victimization when they have broken a family rule.  For example, they may not tell you about a potentially harmful situation because you will know they have broken a rule. Let them know they can come to you for help, no matter what they've done, without fear of harsh judgment; once the crisis is averted, you can sit down and talk with them about what happened, and how they can avoid it in the future.

Be constructive about good places for them to visit on the Internet.

Work with your kids, other caregivers and parental resources to develop your family’s list of safe, fun sites to visit.  Explore kid-friendly search engines for your children to use when looking for information online.

Model positive online behaviour. 

As a caregiver, you have a strong influence on  your child’s behaviour—both on and offline.  Make sure that you are demonstrating ethical behaviour from the places you go online and how you use e-mail.  Also, talk to them about the importance of not using the Internet as a tool for bullying or other actions that would harm others. Remind them that everything said online stays in cyberspace FOREVER, whether or not it is deleted.

For additional resources, click here. Another great tool for parents and caregivers to download produced by the Media Awarness Network can be downloaded here.