Internet Safety for Kids
The Web is filled with opportunities to connect with people. Chat rooms, message boards and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are linking millions of people virtually. The sites in this section will detail the steps you can take to tell if these people are a danger to you or your children, how to keep the bad ones away, and what you can do to keep your computer's Internet connection safe for children.
Expand All Guide SectionsInternet Safety for Kids Resources
Insights for Internet Safety for Kids
- Parents should take a look at the child-safety education Web sites their children are looking at in order to discuss what they've learned. Games and quizzes with cartoon mascots may be a good way to introduce children to the threats of the Internet, but an open line of communication about Internet use is the single most important tip these sites emphasize.
- There are many software options built into your Web browser that allow you to filter the parts of the Internet your child can access, preventing adult content and inappropriate sites from being viewed.
- One of the most powerful ways to protect your children online is to literally watch what they are doing. Keeping home computers in common areas rather than in your children's bedrooms will make it easier to keep an eye on what they're doing online.
- This article from findingDulcinea summarizes details of several alarming reports about kids' Web surfing habits, and explains why YouTube is not nearly as safe as some parents believe.
Top Sites for Internet Safety for Kids
Child safety info for parents ...
The National Crime Prevention Council provides this basic guide for parents on how to ensure your children are using safe computing techniques.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation compiled this guide for parents about online sexual predators from actual investigations. It contains a list of warning signs that your child might be at risk, advice on what to do if you suspect your child is communicating with a sexual predator, and advice on how to minimize the risk your child faces.
To filter what your children can view online ...
GetNetWise offers a variety of tools for parents that allow them to control the Internet use of their children. It provides links to tools for everything from monitoring kids' Internet activity to filtering specific content such as violence or sex.
ICRA is part of the Family Online Safety Institute, an international nonprofit that helps parents filter what kids see on the Web. The site makes a point to mention that the ICRA is not a software company, but that it offers a basic filtering program for free, along with links to other filtering software.
ReputationDefender is a tool for protecting both your own and your child's presence on the Web. For $15.95 a month it will scour the Internet for information tied to your child's name and send you monthly reports on what it finds. You can then have them attempt to delete anything you might consider inappropriate.
For Internet safety information geared toward children ...
The Internet Keep Safe Coalition 's site is great for kids. With its mascot, Faux Paw the Techno Cat, this site offers activities, games, and puzzles aimed at teaching children safe Internet habits.
NetSmartz Workshop , a project of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, has materials for parents, educators, law enforcement, teens and kids. This is a handy resource for anyone wanting to learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones from Web predators.
The National Crime Prevention Council provides educational trading cards, posters and radio spots featuring McGruff the Crime Dog.
To report an Internet crime ...
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a joint project of the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center. This site lets you report Internet crimes and walks you through the process.
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