Keeping Your Kids & Teens Safe in Cyberspace

Basic Rules of Online Safety for Teens

• Keep your identity private (screen names / profile information)
• Never get together with someone you “meet” online
• Never respond to e-mail, chat comments, or newsgroup messages that are hostile, belligerent, inappropriate, or in any way make you feel uncomfortable
• Talk with your parents about their expectations and ground rules for going online; tell them if someone is bothering you

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE A PARENT!

• You Bought The Computer
• You Pay The Internet Service Provider
• You Control The Master Screen Name
• You Control The Passwords

Guidelines / Resources for Parents

• Be open with your teens and encourage them to come to you if they encounter a problem online
• Clear, simple, and easy to read rules should be posted on or near the computer monitor
• Placing the computer in a common area, instead of the child / teens room, allows easier supervision by parents and might make it less tempting to access off-limit areas of the Internet
• Consider using parental controls, filtering or monitoring software for your computer
• Be aware of any other computers your child may be using
• Internet accounts should be in the parent’s name with the parents having the primary screen name, controlling passwords, and using blocking and / or filtering devices
• Let your children show you what they can do online, and visit their favorite sites or chatrooms
• Report suspected “stalking” or sexual exploitation of a child to your local law enforcement or the Cyber Tipline ( HYPERLINK "http://www.cybertipline.com/" \t "_parent" www.cybertipline.com)

My Rules for Online Safety

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.  I will not give out my Internet password(s) to anyone – even my best friends – other than my parents.
• I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents.  If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.
• I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable.  It is not my fault if I get a message like that.  If I do I will tell a trusted adult right away so that they can contact the online service.
• I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online.  We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit.  I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.
• I will practice good “netiquette” and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

 ResourcesNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)  HYPERLINK "http://www.missingkids.com/" \t "_parent" www.missingkids.comFree safety pamphletsFree & legal to download, print and distributeOther great safety topics for kids & teens Other Web Sites

• Netparents.org
• Smartparents.org
• Getnetwise.org
• Familypc.com
• Safesurfin.com
• Cyberangels.org
• Netsmartz.com
• Childrenspartnership.org
• pcmag.com
• Safekids.com
• Safetyed.org
• icra.org