Internet+Safety

**There are six major areas parents need to be concerned about:**

 * Amount of overall Internet/computer use
 * Inappropriate websites—violence, pornography, hate groups
 * Internet predators, perhaps posing as children or teens
 * Online abuse and bullying
 * Divulging confidential family information or ID numbers
 * Downloading/installing malicious software

Create a family policy.[[image:safety.gif width="93" height="52"]]
Your Internet policy will depend on how old your kids are and what level of individual responsibility you’re willing to grant them. The point is to //have// a policy.
 * Use parental controls (see below) to enforce the level of safety you’re comfortable with.
 * Ask the child to suggest a reasonable amount of daily computer usage. Reach agreement on this and then hold the child accountable. Renegotiate if necessary—again, the point is to have an agreed standard, not to expect that the limit will never be exceeded.

Emphasize safety and privacy.
Be sure that children understand that talking on the Internet is the same as talking to strangers.
 * Talk to children about the dangers of giving away family secrets—whether it’s bank account numbers or vacation schedules.
 * Make sure children understand that anyone they “meet” on the Internet might not be who they claim to be.
 * Teach children to be wary of free offers or attractive lures.