MyParentingSource Learning Hub: Internet Safety

Tips

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Talk to Your Child About the Dangers of the Internet (Read more...)

Talk to Your Child About the Dangers of the Internet

Explain to your child not to give out personal information on the Internet and never to arrange an in-person meeting from someone on the Internet without you present.

John Kiesewetter, Media-Mania, 2001 Cincinnati For the Love of Kids® Parenting Conference.

Help keep your child safe online by participating in your child’s computer activity often. (Read more...)

Help keep your child safe online by participating in your child’s computer activity often.

Take an interest. If you have routine involvement in learning with your child, she will more likely be more open to your input. She may be less likely to conceal the information she is sending out in cyberspace.

Set an amount of time each day your child can be on the computer. (Read more...)

Set an amount of time each day your child can be on the computer.

Just as you set limits on how far you allow your child to go outside the home for safety reasons, do the same with the computer. A half hour per day is a reasonable limit with the exception of a school project for an elementary-aged child.

Use filtering or parental control technologies for internet safety. (Read more...)

Use filtering or parental control technologies for internet safety.

Use these to block everything that you have not provided consent for. This reduces the chances of your child entering unsafe territory online.

Articles

Internet Safety

Resources: Websites, Tools & Books

Websites

Bullying

Internet Safety

Wired Safety. Tons of information for parents; cartoons for kids; special modules for teens.
WiredSafety on My Space.
Quick Tips on Social Networking Safety for Parents and Teens from Parry Aftab of Wired Safety.
A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety from the FBI.
NetSmartz Workshop from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
NetSmartzKids – an animated safety lesson for younger children.
ISafe Virtual Training Academy for teens and adults.

Parental Controls & Filtering

WiredKids

Tools

Bookshelf

General

Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn To Use the Internet Safely and Responsibly, Nancy E. Willard, M.S., J.D.

Nancy Willard is an educator and lawyer who has focused on youth online risks for the past 10 years. In her book, she outlines these risks. She also provides parenting skills to help parents to become involved and teaches them how to combat the risks.
Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet, Linda Criddle.

Linda Criddle is Senior Product Manager for MSN’s Microsoft Product Safety. She is also an internationally recognized speaker on child safety. She gives valuable information in her book on many aspects of internet safety including how to blog and use instant messaging safely, understanding fraudulent practices on the internet and how to report abuse.

MySpace Unraveled: A Parent's Guide to Teen Social Networking, Larry Magid, Anne Collier.

Both authors are journalists who have additional publications related to this topic. They show parents how to use and understand My Space. My Space is a site frequently used by adolescents. The authors provide parenting tips throughout the book which are guided towards helping parents to understand this area of the cyber world and to teach safety rather than to control access.
Myspace for Moms and Dads: A Guide to Understanding the Risks and the Rewards, Connie Neal.

Neal helps parents understand what MySpace is and what it is all about. She teaches parents how to bring out the positive opportunities of MySpace while being aware of the risks. She teaches safe use of MySpace and teaches parents how to use MySpace as well to help understand teenagers’ new world.

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