How to Protect Your Child From the Dangers of Internet Predators

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Parental Control Software
List of your child's internet friends

Step 1

Inform your kids of the potential danger of online predators-you should have a discussion with your children about the dangers associated with the Internet. Unfortunately, sex offenders are prevalent in chat rooms and any other social networking site, etc. Remember when we use to inform our children about how not talk to strangers? Well today, strangers can enter your home through your pc. Unless you are monitoring your child's use of the internet, you have no idea what dangers are lurking beyond these social networking sites. To some children it seems harmless, however; most kids are vulnerable and naïve.
Step 2

Use parental control software- In the event that you are unable to monitor your child's usage on the internet, you should invest in parental control software. This type of software usually protects your child between the ages of 4-16 and allows the parent to review your child's internet usage from anywhere, which is ideal for working parents.
Step 3

Monitor your child's activity in online chat rooms- One of the most enticing areas over the Internet are the chat rooms or social networking sites. It allows a child to freely express themselves and socialize with other people, however; everyone in these chat rooms tend to be much older than your child. In essence, many people in these chat rooms lie about their true identity and their age, in which case your child could fall victim to misrepresentation of someone else. I would recommend that parents set up a schedule that would allow your child the opportunity to chat only when their parents are home to supervise. Parents should always ask questions as to whom the child is chatting with, the age of the person in question, etc. You can also view the picture of the person you are talking to, for example, if your child is chatting on Yahoo, you can instantly click on the person's handle that is chatting with your child and can see a picture of the person if they uploaded one. If a person did not upload a photo, then you should tell your child to discontinue chatting with them. Keep in mind, that people can upload another picture instead of their own, therefore, it is up to you as the parent to decide or find out if that person is who they say they are. I'm not suggesting that you check out everyone that chats with your child in the chat rooms, not at all. I am suggesting that you check out all of the people that Instant Messenger your child. Instant messaging allows the person to see when your child is online, call your computer, send pics, etc.
Step 4

Keep a record of your child's online friends- You should maintain a log of who your child is chatting with i.e. email addresses, contact information, screen name, ISP (Internet Service Provider), etc. In the event that something happened to your child, you will already have a lead on whom your child was dealing with online.
Step 5

Keep the lines of communication open- Make sure that you have an open door policy with your child. Your child should feel as though they can talk to you about anything, no matter what. If you are the type of parent that yells at your child, then you can expect for them to become secretive because you are prone to flipping out over everything. This is the type of relationship you want to avoid. You want them to be open and honest with you. Even though, there are some instances where you are boiling mad, you must remember to maintain your composure and be calm and encourage them to be open, this will allow your child to be more comfortable talking with you about the many issues surrounding their young life. The goal is to get them to discuss their social life online and offline.
Step 6

Know your child's Usernames, passwords and social networking sites they are affiliated with. You should be aware of how your child is representing him/herself online. Usually, a person is supposed to be 18 or older when entering social networking sites, however; that is not always the case. Therefore, you should know how to access your child's accounts to social networking sites, such as; Myspace, facebook, twitter, etc. in order to see what type of people have been communicating with your child.
Step 7

Keep your computers in a neutral location within your home. You want to make sure that at a glance, you can see your child's internet activity.
Step 8

Check browsing history to see what websites your child has visited. Evaluate each site to determine their hazardous potential. Then reset your parental controls and block the websites that are harmful to the safety of your child.
Step 9

Enable password protection in which case your child will not have access to the computer until you (the parent) are able to monitor their usage.