Internet Safety 101
Here is a list of five ways parents can make your computer safer:
1. Use the internet as a way to develop relationship, communication and trust with your child. The computer and the internet are great ways to learn more about your child and what they are up to. The key to finding out what your kids are doing on the internet is spending time with them on the internet. The best way to keep them safe is to know where they are going and providing boundaries.
2. Have computers in common areas of the house. You want to build trust with your child and the best way to do that is through communication. The best way to communicate is to be in the same room. It is also very important to be able to watch where your children are surfing on line
3. Family Online Rules Contract
Having a family agreement or set of rules for using the internet is a good idea. It’s a great way for parents and kids to work together on how to be safe, wise and responsible online. Here are some ideas to help you get started. We encourage you to have your children sign the contract and as in life have pre set consequences for breaking the contract
- I will always get my parents’ permission before giving out any personal information online. This includes my name, gender, telephone number, home or e-mail address, location of my school, my parents’ work addresses, email addresses or telephone numbers, their credit card number information, and pictures of me or my family.
- When using the internet, I will always use a pretend name or a nickname that doesn’t let other people online know anything about me.
- When creating a password, I will make one up that is hard for someone else to guess but easy for me to remember. I will never reveal it to anyone (except my parents or a trusted adult) – not even my best friend.
- I will show an adult any message or web site that makes me uncomfortable or threatened.
- I will NOT arrange to meet a friend I have made on the internet unless a parent or an adult that I trust will be going with me.
- I will ask an adult first before opening any e-mail, files, links, pictures or games from people that I don’t know or trust.
- I will check the source of the information I find online to see if it is true or not, and confirm it with a parent, teacher or librarian.
- I will practice responsible online behavior: I won’t use the internet to bully other people; post or send insulting, rude or mean messages about other people, ‘flame’ someone or make threats.
- I will give other people credit when I use their ideas or copy parts of their documents straight from the internet in my homework or other projects.
- I will only download or use copyright material, including video, pictures, music and software, if I have permission from the owner or the web site.
- I will not disable any filtering software my parents have put on the computer.
- I will only buy things online, if I have my parents’ permission.
Your Family Contract can include any or all of the above and you need to make it age appropriate for your children.
4. Use internet filters and parental control software. There are some things that no matter how much you trust your children they can still stumble upon things they should not see. Parental control software is one way to help minimize the risk. It is also a great way to be able to privately go back and read any online chats they are having. The ability to review chat also helps hold your children accountable
5. Establish a shared family e-mail account with your Internet Service Provider rather than letting your kids have their own accounts. But ensure age appropriate levels of access.
Check the following resources
http://www.kinsa.net/Keeping_Kids_Safe
http://www.microsoft.com/canada/potential/take-back-the-net
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/is-si/index-eng.htm
Many resources are available to help parents keep their children safe from internet pedophiles, including the following websites:
www.kinsa.ca
Kids Internet Safety Alliance ( KINSA) is a friend to Canada Family Action. It is headed up by Paul Gillespie, a former police officer who has a determination and passion for keeping kids safe. They have great videos for parents to watch on keeping your kids safe on the internet. They also have excellent age appropriate training for your children as well
www.internetsafety.com
Internet filters are a great way to monitor internet usage at your house. If you purchase this program to help protect your family use the coupon code childsafenation and the link on this page. You will save 10% and a portion of the purpose price will go to help fund our child safe nation campaign.
Safe Eyes is considered one of the leading internet filters. Safe eyes allows you:
- Content Controls – Flexible content control allows you to select the types of website that are appropriate.
- Program Controls – Control Instant Messengers, P2P File Sharing, and other harmful programs.
- Time Controls – Control the amount of time spent online, and the times when the internet is available.
- Usage Logging – Create and review logs of websites visited, programs used on the Internet, and Instant Messaging Chats.
- Usage Alerts – Be notified instantly via email, text message, or phone call when someone visits inappropriate websites.
www.littlewarriors.ca
There are many excellent organizations working to protect children from other forms of child sexual abuse. We at Canada Family Action strongly encourage you to read what Little Warriors is doing in Canada to equip parents to protect children.
Reporting of content and sites that are dangerous and criminal is also key. Cybertip.ca is the Canadian organization to report these sites.
Kiwi Commons is a great website that has a focus on internet safety! It is a meeting place for the discussion of online safety.
