Note: This is an on going part of a look at six issues that we face in keeping our children and students safe online. We’ll be looking at the issue, discussing some solutions and recommending some free and commercial software that can help protect the children you work with online.

The issue: Predators

Children are very trusting and have a hard time discerning between truthful adults and deceitful ones. Steps need to be taken to protect your children from strangers online. If your child chats in a public chat room, chances are very high that they’ll be approached in a sexual way.

Solutions:

- Set firm rules on chatting, IM’ing, email,  and other uses of technology that allow direct communication with strangers
- Discuss the dangers of strangers online. Ask your children if they’ve ever been asked personal information online.
- Create a open avenue of communication with your children. Be sure they feel comfortable coming to you if a situation arises online. You need to be firm on your rules, yet approachable and understanding.

Note: This is an on going part of a look at six issues that we face in keeping our children and students safe online. We’ll be looking at the issue, discussing some solutions and recommending some free and commercial software that can help protect the children you work with online.

The issue: Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are intended to get you (and your child) to give up important information that can be used in identity theft. You may be directed to a site that looks exactly like the true site, but the information you enter such as your user name and password, are received by the scammers who now can access your accounts.

Solutions:

– Teach your children never to submit their full name, address or other personal information without your consent.
- If you go to a link offered in an email, check to see if there is an “s” after the HTTP in the address at the top and a lock at the bottom of the screen that indicates the web site is secure and encrypts data
- Most companies never ask customers to confirm personal information by sending an email.
- A good practice is to not use links offered in an email, but to go to the website directly (type the address you usually use to access the site)

Note: This is an on going part of a look at six issues that we face in keeping our children and students safe online. We’ll be looking at the issue, discussing some solutions and recommending some free and commercial software that can help protect the children you work with online.

As a parent, one of your many responsibilities is to monitor your child’s media habits. The end goal should be a fully mature adult who can discern right from wrong with or without guidance. It’s very important to lay down some ground rules, as technology has a great amount of potential to effect our lives positively or negatively. Here’s a few areas to be concerned with, and how to help monitor or filter those areas.

The issue: Pornography

Steps need to be taken to protect children from both accidentally discovering pornography during innocent surfing, as well as those children who might be actively searching for it. It’s quite easy to accidentally access a porn site during a search for a report or for an image during a google image search.

Solutions for parent concerns:

General Tips:
- Place the computer in a family area. Children shouldn’t have access to a computer in a private place.
- Be sure to keep your password confidential and to turn off your own automatic logins. Children can run up quite a bill accidentally (or purposefully) after going to a site that you have left yourself logged into.

- Pornography
- If you suspect your child is purposely searching for pornography, talk to them about the issue. It can be a difficult discussion, but it can save your child from a lifelong addiction.
- Set up a filter that can protect your family from stumbling across undesired content.
- Just know that no filter is perfect. Always, always, know what your kids are doing while surfing the web, because a filter never takes the place of a curious and caring parent.