The Internet has an awesome amount of information, however, it also contains material and websites that are not appropriate for children to view.  Let alone stumble upon it when they least expect it.

Here are some statistics you need to consider:

1. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that among teens online, 70 percent have accidentally come across pornography on the Web (Kaiser Family Foundation).

2. A study by the NOP Research Group found that of the four million children, aged seven to 17 who surf the net, 29% percent would freely give out their home address and 14% would freely give out their e-mail address if asked. (Telegraph.co.uk January 2002)

3. Nine out of 10 children aged between eight and 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet. In most cases, the adult sites were accessed unintentionally when a child, often in the process of doing homework, used a seemingly innocent sounding word to search for information or pictures. (London School of Economics January 2002)

 

These statistics are very disturbing, and seriously affect our children’s well being.  Now, would you like to have an Internet that is Safe for your children to use?  You could go about your house work and get your business done without worrying about what websites your children are viewing.  This would take a huge burden off your shoulders.  Want to know how to achieve this?

Actually it is really easy and affordable by simply installing “My Kids Browser”.  This program will protect your children against pornography, predators and other Internet dangers, even if you can’t be there to monitor them.  My Kids Browser is different than other filtering programs because it will only let them access clean websites.  If you would like to add a website to your child’s “white list” you can.  Then the website will be checked out by the program and you will be advised of any risks.

The My Kids Browser has many great features, such as turning off the print feature so that you kids don’t print every picture they see on the internet.  In addition, you can set the amount of time they can use the computer.  Once that limit is reached, the browser will shutdown.  This should eliminate a lot of arguments you may be experiencing right now.

Here are some more of the many features that are included in My Kids Browser:

·  Protects your children every second they’re on the internet!
·  Web-page analyzer that analyzes any page you add to their list.
·  Desktop lockdown that allows you to prohibit children from using Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc so that they only use the Kid Safe Internet Browser. (For Windows 2000, XP, & Vista)
·  History area that lets you see where your kids have been (they will only have access to SAFE areas)
·  Helps children learn and practice math, English, and science
·  Sandbox area for kids to play almost unlimited games.

· Full featured web browser
· Password-protected Parental Admin area
· Unlimited updates / auto-update checker
· Keeps children safer than by using only filtered internet
· Pop-up blocker (configurable)
· Enable / Disable the printer and search bar
· View how long your children have used the internet per day.

The My Kids Browser program offers a Free Trial so you can use it before you actually purchase it.  To find out more information about the this program and to check out all of the features, please visit:

http://www.mykidsbrowser.com/

Recently, we have seen news reports on how some of the X-Factor contestants were the object of CyberBullying.  This just goes to show that CyberBullying can happen to anyone.  Be it your average Child in your hometown, your own children, or someone who is in the News.The most important thing that a parent can do to protect their child is to keep the lines of communication open.  Just sit down and have an open and honest discussion with your child about CyberBullying.

You could even use the X-Factor CyberBullying information as a way to approach the subject with your children.  It is always easier to open up a conversation when it’s somebody else you are talking about.  This will put the child at ease while you try to find out if there are any problems they are currently dealing with.

Ask them if they are aware of  CyberBullying and if this has ever happened to them.  This may encourage your children to tell you if they have been or are currently being harassed.  If your children admit to being CyberBullied, take action immediately.  Don’t ignore the situation thinking that it will blow over because this type of behavior more times than not can escalate quickly.

Remember just how fast the internet can deliver emails, Facebook posts, and tweets on Twitter.  If there is any type of CyberBullying behavior being directed to your children, do whatever it takes to stop it.

Each Website has a report or abuse button that you can use to report CyberBullying activity.  Also, you can notify the school principal of the situation so they can let the teachers know what is happening and take measures to protect your child.

For more information about how to handle CyberBullying and the articles about the X Factor contestants please visit:

Your son just walked in the door after school, threw his book bag on the counter, grabbed a snack, and informed you that he wants his own email and Facebook accounts.  He’s only 8 years old, talk about a shock to your family dynamics.  You have to tell him something, so you tell him that you will think about it.  Then you scramble to do some research to see how best to handle this situation.

Basically you find out that there is no hard and fast rules that states a child has to be X years old before they can have an email account.  Each parent has to decide this for themselves.  Do you feel that your child is mature enough to have his own email account.  Can he be responsible, and follow the rules you set down for the account?  Also, take into consideration if your child really needs an email account at age 8, if the answer is yes, then follow these basic steps.

It is best to set up an account on your own computer using Eudora or Outlook so that the child’s email will come right into your computer.  That way you can oversee the account and delete any spam or inappropriate emails.  Since he is only 8, and has limited reading skills, he will need adult supervision for some time with his email account.

You could also sign your child up for an email account through kidsemail.org.  Try it for Free for 30 days!  Kids Email is designed specifically with your child in mind. You control the account when you choose the settings.  Here are some of the settings available for the Kids Email accounts:

1)      Receive email only from the contact list that the parent sets up and controls.
2)      Parent is CC’d on every incoming or outgoing email.
3)      Remove images from incoming emails.
4)      Removes links.
5)      Allow only certain types of attachments
6)      Filters out bad words.
7)      Have spam  automatically filtered and removed.

When your child receives an email from someone on their contact list, the Kids Email software will take the email, censor any bad words, remove any images, and scan it for viruses all based on the parent’s settings.  The parent is automatically sent a copy of each email the child receives or sends so that they are aware of the correspondence.  When your child receives the email, they receive it in a safe environment without any ads, bad words or viruses.

If somebody tries to send an email to your child that is not on their accepted contact list, the email is not sent to the child and is only sent to the parent by Kids Email.  Then the parent reviews the email and decides whether to accept the email or deny the email in the Kids Email Mail queue.  If the parent accepts the email that person can be added to the child’s contact list or simply reject the email and not allow it to be sent to their child.  For more information about Kids Email accounts please visit our About Kids Email page and don’t forget to watch the video.

Next you should give the email address to his grandparents and a few of the aunts and uncles so that your child has some email coming in so that you can guide him in the process of how an email account works.  Explain what spam email is and that he should only give the email address to his very close friends.  Make sure that you stress that he should let you know immediately if he ever receives an email that makes him uncomfortable.

Now, you have to let him down very gently when you explain to him that he cannot have a Facebook account until he turns 13 years old.  It is out of your hands, because Facebook Terms of Service, Section 4, Registration and Account Security, Item 5 States, “You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.”

Parents, keep in mind that Facebook has to follow Federal Laws and has designed the site for use by teens and adults. If your child is 13 years old and wants a Facebook account they are free to sign up.  To safeguard your child’s privacy and safety on Facebook, please visit the following websites listed below.

http://www.facebook.com/safety/tools/

http://www.connectsafely.org/pdfs/fbparents.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=JUV5Kev1ke4

Every since the World Wide Web has been available, there have been people who use it to prey on others.  As a parent, you are aware of the growing risk to your children’s safety when they are using the internet.  Therefore, it is the parent’s duty to learn how to safely surf the internet, then teach each child individually by guiding them through the mine field that is ever present online.  Yes, this may seem over the top, but I wanted to stress the dangers that exist online.

First, you, the parent need to educate yourselves about Internet Safety.  If there is a local adult education class given at your college, city library or other organization, please take it.  There are also many great resources on the internet that you can use.  The more that you learn, the more you can safeguard and teach your child.

 5 guidelines you can use when discussing safety on the Internet with your children.

1)    Have a very open and honest conversation with your children about internet safety.  Explain that the computer will be kept in a family room and that you will be monitoring their computer usage daily.

2)    Make sure that the kids understand they are not to give out any personal information over the internet.  That includes their name, address, birthday, social security number or school name.

3)    Establish a username for your child to use on different websites so they are not using their real name.  Then instruct your children to use this username.

4)    Do not allow them to use the chat rooms online, period.  No discussion.  Too much personal information is gleamed from chat rooms.

5)    Stress to your child that if they are ever the victim of cyberbulling or inappropriate contact by email they are to notify you immediately.

6 steps that you, as a parent can take to safeguard your children while they are online.

1)    Install online tools that can block and filter the internet sites your children can access.

2)    Talk to your Internet Provider and see if they offer any parental control options with their service.  If they do, use them.

3)    Physically sit down with your child at the computer and teach them how to safety use the Internet.

4)    Have your children’s email sent through your email account so that you can monitor them.  Better yet, you can sign your child up for an email account through kidsemail.org.  Try it for Free today!

5)     Make a point of walking by the computer while your child is using it, so they are aware that you are monitoring what they are doing online.

6)    If your child comes to you with information about being a victim of cyberbullying or receiving inappropriate information take the threat seriously.  Praise your child for coming forward immediately with the information and take the appropriate steps to report it to your IP service provider, local police department and/or the FBI.

By following the steps above you will be able to help keep your children safe on the internet.  Remember, that this is an ongoing process.  Never let your guard down for a moment.  Make sure that the children are following your guidelines, and let them see that you are monitoring their online usage.  That way, the children will start being more careful about what they are doing online and start monitoring their own online behavior.

Have more tips for keeping our children safe online? Please share them in the comments below!

For more information about keeping your children safe on the internet, visit the sites below:

Kidshealth.org Internet Safety  http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html#

YouTube Video How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Q9dC_ekyD64

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998  http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm

The Internet is a great way for your child to do research, gain new knowledge and help them with their school work.  But, as a parent, you all know that Online Predators are the dark side of the Internet.  These Predators hide behind the anonymity that the Internet provides them.

We all take this threat seriously and want to protect our children from these Online Predators.  First, you need to educate yourself.  Then you need to teach your children how to safely use the Internet.  Remember, your children may be very naive and trusting.   Your children need all of the guidance you can give them to protect them against this ever present threat.

Here are 5 steps to protect your children from Online Predators:

1)  Explain to your child that they should never give out any personal information.  Online Predators have multiple accounts and target your child through these accounts to gain personal information.  For example, through one account they may get their name, then with another account they may find out where they go to school.  You get the picture.

2)  Tell your child to never post any pictures on the Internet.  If they want to post a picture you should review the picture before it is goes online.  The pictures should not contain any personal information.  For example, with their football jersey, or high school letter jacket.  Anything that would give an Online Predator an opening to connect with your child.  You wouldn’t want the predator saying something like, “Hey I see you like football!”  That may be all it takes to open up a conversation between your child and the predator.

3)  Never allow your children to use the computer unsupervised.  Always monitor their use of the computer and install computer filters and blocks.  Have a discussion with your children and explain which websites are appropriate to use.  Learn how to track which sites your children are using.  Online Predators know when children are not supervised by their parents when they are using the computer.  (Especially when they are using the computer late at night when their parents are asleep.)

4)  Stress to your children that if they ever encounter a person that asks them to keep their online activities a secret from their parents that they should notify you immediately.  This is a telltale sign that the person that they are interacting with may be an Online Predator.  Why else would they ask your child to “keep this a secret”?

5)  Finally, explain to your children that they are to never meet or agree to meet someone in person that they have connected with online.  If a person asks your child to meet them in person they need to tell you immediately.  Let your child know what type of risks they would be taking if they actually did meet with a stranger.  They need to know.

Always be patient, supportive and understanding when your children talk to you about the Internet.  By keeping  the lines of communication open, your children will feel comfortable about coming to you if a problem should arise.

To learn more about how to protect your children from Online Predators, please visit the websites listed below:

How are you protecting your child on the internet?