Internet

The Internet is a valuable educational and social resource for children. However, it endanger our children through the discovery of inappropriate materials and experiences. The most important way to keep kids safe on the Internet is to teach them to make wise choices about what they view and what they participate in, such as chat rooms. The ability to make responsible choices is important since the Web can be accessed from almost anywhere—in the home, school, on the road or library.


What the Internet provides

Through the Internet, a child can access the complete literary works of Shakespeare etc. Sexual predators use the Internet to meet and establish “dialogue” with many potentially vulnerable children. Search engines can lead to sites that are not legitimate and not applicable for use by children.

The Internet has created countless new opportunities for learning.

The Internet is also a great tool for searching for new ways to interact with the offline world.

The rapid development of technology makes online communication easier and more convenient than ever. The Internet has made it easier to stay in touch with relatives and friends worldwide, families use the Internet to share pictures and videos or to find the cheapest airfare for grandma’s next visit.

Internet predators seek out victims who are desperately seeking acceptance and comfort. We can help protect our children from these predators by monitoring closely our children’s online activities and relationships. We must teach our children to be wary of providing personal information online.

The Internet can also create a cyberbully. It can be easy to forget that there is a real person on the other end and children may say things they would never say in person.


So what are the biggest dangers?

• Child predators who pose as teens or preteens.


• Harassment from cyberbullies - kids that bully others online.


• Exposure to inappropriate photos, video, and text.


• Excessive involvement in, and time spent on digital communication.


• Viruses, worms, bots.


• Exposure to misinformation.


• Phishing and other scams.

Online Risks

Internet predators seek out victims who are looking for acceptance and looking to be heard. You can help protect your child from predators by carefully monitoring your child’s online activities and relationships and discussing them with your child. In addition, teach your child to be wary of providing personal information online. Periodic reviews of what information about your family is posted on the Web can also help prevent offline danger.

Cyberbullying is a growing problem and is just as real and hurtful as traditional bullying. Children may have a stronger reaction to mean e-mails and hurtful Web posting than their parents may realize. If your child shows warning signs of being bullied (e.g., suddenly becoming withdrawn, suddenly losing interest in things he or she used to enjoy, being anxious, sad, or moody, or having trouble sleeping), don’t forget that the threat may be coming through the computer.

The Internet has the potential to create a cyberbully, too. When communicating online, it can be easy to forget that there is a real person on the other end, and children may say things they would never say in person. Because you aren’t able to account for body language or tone of voice in written messages, online communication can also lend itself to unintended misunderstandings. Make sure your child knows and uses proper “netiquette.”


Educating a child for safety

No one single solution exists to protect kids on the Internet. Rather, protection has to rest on social and educational strategies to teach responsible and safe use coupled with technology, public policy, and law enforcement to shape the environment in which choice is exercised.

A foundational component of Internet safety education is parent involvement and supervision. Parents should become aware of the types of good and bad material and experiences that are available online; their son's or daughter's experience online may be vastly different from their own. For that matter, a child's experience away from school could also differ dramatically with that in the classroom.

An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), an Internet-use "contract" in the form of a written set of guidelines commonly found in schools but also relevant to home use, is another useful educational tool. While these agreements may vary in form, they usually contain the basic elements described in the box, right. Most importantly, using an AUP with a child provides parents with a great opportunity to have some extended conversations about what acceptable use really means in the home in practice.