Internet Safety Tools for Parents
What can parents of 10- to 11-year-old children do to help keep them safe?
Technology
- Spend time with your child and know what s/he is doing online and offline.
- Use parental controls on your computer.
- Know your child's passwords and screen names.
- Online profiles should be set up with adult supervision. Ensure your child’s screen names and nicknames are nondescript and do not reveal her/his true interests, age, gender or contain pictures.
- Reinforce household guidelines for Internet use and set limits on the amount of time your child spends online.
- Ensure that your child is not communicating in chat rooms as they are typically unregulated.
- Provide adult supervision for Instant Messaging (i.e. MSN, AIM, Yahoo!, etc.), emailing, online games and their chat components. Know and check regularly all of your child's contacts on her/his friend/buddy lists.
- Webcams should only be used with direct parental supervision and pictures should only be accepted and sent with parental permission.
Important discussions to have…
Behaviour online
- Reinforce that the Internet is a public place just like the store, the neighbourhood, the playground or going to someone's house and set the expectation that you will monitor your child online to increase her/his safety.
- Help your child find safe ways for privacy (e.g. an offline diary, notebook, talking to friends face-to-face, etc.).
- Talk to your child about the importance of valuing their own and other’s personal information. Teach your child to respect her/his friends' personal information including pictures. A friend’s personal information should not be shared without the friend’s permission.
- Discuss how easily information shared with someone can be misused.
- Explain to your child that once a picture is sent online s/he loses control of what is done with it. The picture may never be completely removed from the Internet. Explain that information can be misused by some people so it needs to be protected.
- Teach your child to take a leadership role and not forward inappropriate messages about others.
Contact online
- Explain to your child that there is no need or urgency to respond to messages that someone sends her/him. Teach your child not to respond to messages that make her/him feel uncomfortable, scared or unsure and to tell a safe adult if they do receive such a message.
- Review with your child the difference between a KEEP and a SPEAK Secret. A KEEP Secret is harmless and will eventually come out, like a birthday present; a SPEAK Secret is one that children are told never to tell, like being threatened by someone or a secret about touching or picture-taking. Tell your child that SPEAK Secrets need to be told to a safe adult.
- Discuss the concept of anonymity on the Internet with your child — people can pretend to be anyone.
- Talk about friendship with your child: what it is and isn't . Explain that new friendships started online need to be adult-supervised and that children should never meet someone in person they first met online without an accompanying parent.
Content
- Children have access to vast amounts of information online. This offers incredible opportunities, but it also offers exposure to explicit and harmful content. Encourage your child to talk to you if they come across something upsetting without having to fear getting into trouble.
What can parents of 11- to 12-year-old children do to help keep them safe?
Technology
- Use parental controls on your computer.
- Reinforce household guidelines for Internet use and set limits on the amount of time your child spends online.
- Monitor online activities.
- Know your child's passwords and screen names.
- Provide adult supervision for webcam use.
Important discussions to have…
Behaviour online
- Reinforce that the Internet is a public place just like the store, the neighbourhood, the playground or going to someone's house and set the expectation that you will monitor your child online to increase her/his safety.
- Help your child find safe ways for privacy (e.g. an offline diary, a notebook, talking to friends face-to-face, etc.).
- Reinforce the importance of being careful with whom your child chooses to share her/his personal thoughts and information, and considering how it can be misused.
- Reinforce the importance of respecting other's private information.
- Explain to your child that once a picture is sent online s/he loses control of what is done with it and that it may never be completely removed from the Internet.
Contact online
- Explain to your child that there is no need or urgency to respond to messages. Teach your child not to respond to messages that make her/him feel uncomfortable, scared or unsure and to tell a safe adult if s/he receives such a message.
- Teach your child that it is illegal for people to manufacture, possess or distribute naked or sexually explicit pictures of children under 18 years of age. Tell your child that s/he needs to tell a safe adult if s/he is presented with this situation.
- Explain to your child that it is illegal to threaten someone online or offline. If someone threatens them, they need to tell a safe adult.
- Reinforce the concept of anonymity on the Internet and that people can pretend to be anyone.
- Talk about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Explain that relationships started online need to be adult supervised. Children should never meet someone in person that they first met online without an accompanying parent.
Content
- Children have access to vast amounts of information online. This offers incredible opportunity, but it also offers exposure to explicit and harmful content. Encourage your child to talk to you if they come across something that is upsetting reassuring him/her that you will not be angry.
- Provide a standard of measure about healthy relationships and healthy sexuality that your child can compare to when trying to make sense of media messages.
- Encourage your child to think critically about information rather than assuming it is an accurate representation.
this is wonderful information as i am a64 yearold granny with very little exposure to the internet and my grandchildren often want to show me what they are doind on thecomputer and now with this information i can be more aware of what they are doing and be more attentive while they are here...thank you so much..keep up the good work for our childrens safety as tthey explore a new world for them and myself.......
Despite your age, we all need to be aware of the informative things on the internet as well as the dangers just as we do with TV and printed information. We should teach our children that if your gut is telling you something is wrong, no matter the situation, it probably is wrong. As adults, we need to remind our children, no matter their age, that as long as they are in our care, then we can check up on what they are tapping into.
The best to you and your grandchildren.