Internet Safety Program Combats Online Predators
Every year, one in five children receives a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet. With millions of children in chat rooms and sending instant messages, parents must take action to protect their kids.
A recent survey of young people revealed the following statistics about how parents are supervising their children’s online time: More than half of young people (53 percent) say their parents never ask them about whom they are talking to on the Internet, and 55 percent say their parents never surf the Internet with them.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to create NetSmartz (www.netsmartz.org), an interactive, educational safety resource for children ages 5 to 17. Parents, guardians, educators and law enforcement personnel can access age-appropriate, 3-D activities to teach children how to stay safer on the Internet.
Here are some Internet safety tips for parents:
* Keep the computer in the family room or another open area of your home.
* If children use chat or e-mail, talk to them about never meeting in person with anyone they “met” online.
* Know who your children are exchanging e-mail with, and only let them use chat areas when you can supervise. Limit chatroom access to child-friendly chat sites.
* Let your children show you what they do online. Visit their favorite Web sites.
* If you suspect online “stalking” or sexual exploitation of a child, report it to your local law-enforcement agency or call the CyberTipline at (800) 843-5678.
With the support of Microsoft, BGCA also has implemented the Club Tech program in more than 3,700 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. Club Tech’s goal is to “technology enable” every club by providing software, curriculum and computer training for staff and youth.
New technology centers are becoming available online every week, teaching basic computer skills and Internet safety.
By: Silvester Thompson
About the Author:
For More Health Article Visit :: http://www.webhealthclinic.com/
Filed under: Parenting
Parental Internet Safety Tips
Parental Internet Safety Tips Copyright (c) 2007 Kelly Liyakasa
Like most families in 2007, your family probably has at least one computer in the home, if not more. Many children and teens have workloads in school that require excessive PC-usage. Alright, so even if your kids use the World Wide Web for chatting and downloading games, they still need to be protected. There are plenty of parental internet control software. options available to concerned mom’s and dad’s, but it’s still wise to heed the following tips.
Protecting Your Children:
• Be aware of your children’s friends and if they begin mentioning someone they don’t hang out with at school or at home.
• Limit their Internet use. Giving each child an hour a day can lessen the chances they’ll run into dangerous situations and you’ll increase family time.
• Most parents know the best way to find out is to “ask.” If you have concerns or advice to give, ask your kids for 10 minutes to chat.
• Don’t berate them. You remember what it was like to be 13 and craving independence. Allow your pre-teens and teens to make some of their own decisions, while you coach them.
• Remind youngsters not to give out any personal information without consulting you first.
• Change allotted computer-time depending on how old your child is. Have a teen? They obviously need more Internet time than an eight year old.
• Check for warning signs: If your 11-year-old knows how to clear the browser cache and sets up her own passwords, you might want to keep an eye out.
• Try parental control software products. They don’t guard against everything, but they are a great start.
For you frustrated parents who don’t have any idea how to combat Internet predation and trash-sites, it is well worth your time to consider parental control software. 6StarReviews.com notes that a leading software product, Content Watch’s Net Nanny 5.5, completely logs all Internet activity and downloads.
What exactly can the infamous Net Nanny do? It blocks inappropriate websites, logs instant messages, and can monitor everywhere little Johnny’s been on the Web from any place. While you may have some reservations about essentially spying on your kids, catching your child in risky situations early-on can prevent a world of future hurt.
By: Kelly Liyakasa
About the Author:
Kelly Liyakasa is a staff writer for 6StarReviews.com. Kelly Staller is site manager at 6StarReviews.com, a site dedicated to giving YOU, the consumer, the best product and service reviews around. If you like saving time and money by having someone else review leading sites and products, then Visit our site at 6StarReviews.com. Also, if you have the time, check out the 6StarReviews Blog for product updates, new site reviews and to give us suggestions or feedback! Visit 6StarReviews.com Blog!
Filed under: Parenting