Internet Safety for your Children[i]

As the Internet has grown, so have concerns about safety for children. Most parents have heard horror stories about kids meeting strangers online. How much actual danger is there?

The dangers online are similar to the dangers in the real world. A child could arrange to meet a stranger in person that she’d met online. She could give away personal information, such as a telephone number or home address, or visit a site that has inappropriate content. As for how dangerous it is, the risk is substantially lower if you go online with your child.

In chat rooms, children should never give out their real names, phone numbers, addresses, school names, or any other information that could allow someone to find them or contact them online. Most reputable websites will never ask kids for any inappropriate information. Kids (and parents) should not give out passwords, even to someone who claims to work for the internet service provider.

Is there software that can assist you? Software does provide some protection. Your internet service provider may offer parental controls that allow you to dictate which kinds of sites your child can visit. There is also software, such as NetNanny, Cyber Patrol, and Norton Internet Security Family Edition, which screens for inappropriate material or blocks access to everything except a list of pre-approved sites.

But blocking software is only a backup step. Nothing replaces your diligence as a parent. You should be with your child when they are using the computer online or off, up to the age of five or so. After that, judge whether they need you to look over their shoulder every second. But keep the computer somewhere you can easily monitor its use. A child just does not have the maturity to decide which sites are okay to visit and what information is okay to give out.

If you feel you could use further assistance with stress related to child-rearing issues, please give your GHE HealthCare, Inc. counselor a call at 866/443-3277.

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[i] Letting Go: Are You Ready for Your Child’s First Trip to the Mall Alone? Washington Parent, July 2002, 38