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Step 1
Discuss the dangers of online blogging with your teen and help her to restrict the content of her blog so that too much personal information isn't revealed. Studies show that most teen bloggers use the medium to talk with a handful of friends, but care must be taken not to include phone numbers, addresses, last names and email addresses, which can give strangers more ways to contact your child.
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Step 2
Insist on having complete access to every corner of the website and having a master password that allows you to effectively monitor all of the activity on your teen's blog. While your teen may object to the invasion of privacy, you must let him know that your intention is to protect him from undesirable strangers, not to necessarily spy on his activities.
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Step 3
Downplay the negative aspects of online activity with your teen. In practice, the chance that your teen may encounter an online predator is fairly slim, especially if she has been educated on how to recognize such individuals. A teen should have fun while blogging and not be constantly reminded of every single danger that may occur on the Internet.
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Step 4
Monitor your teen's blog occasionally and at random. It is not necessary to review every single blog entry or every single response. By checking your teen's blog intermittently, you may experience less resistance from him, and he may even be more inclined to express his thoughts and opinions more freely.
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Step 5
Address additional concerns about your teen's online blog other than the potential for predators. Review the difficulties she may experience if she makes inappropriate posts that might be construed as libelous, racist or generally provocative or controversial. While is important to teach your teen about free speech, it is equally important to protect her from garnering undesirable attention from her peers, the media or an attorney.
