INTERNET SAFETY FOR CHILDREN

The first step to helping your children is in helping yourself. If your computer knowledge is moderate then you have the ground work you need to get started, however if your computer knowledge is negligible (you know how to use the word processor on your computer at work), you may need to consider taking a course in basic computer skills and using the internet. Tulane University offers several courses that can be helpful, plus many of the local computer retailers offer courses.

The internet provides many new and exciting adventures for those who chose to travel down it's many paths. There are thousands of places to go, some good and some bad. The two key uses of the internet is to gather (research) information and to communicate with others. There are many other things that you can do now using your computer and the internet but the these are the two predominate uses. Easy enough right! Not much trouble you can get into communicating and researching! Beware! There are plenty of sites out there that feature topics that we do not wish our children to be exposed to such as violence, sex and other standoffish subjects.

Three of the most popular uses are browsing, e-mailing and chatting. Each has it own positive's and negatives.

Browsing offers many positives, mainly being the discovery of new and interesting information. The negative side is there are just as many sites out there that are comprised of information that we do not wish our children to be exposed to.

Electronic mail(e-mail) was originally designed to allow an individual to type and send a message to someone else over the internet. This allows use to stay in touch with others all over the world with little expense. With all the advances in computer technology you can know send messages to several people at the same time and you can attach text, audio, video, graphics or programs to an e-mail message. Each of these present the same problem that browsing does the passing on of inappropriate information with an added danger of receiving a program that contains a virus. See our Virus Protection Page for information on how to protect your computer from these attacks.

Internet chat like everything else has it's two separate faces. One being discussion groups and help to solve problems with almost any topic. However the other side of that is anyone can represent themselves anyway they want in these chat areas. They can make up their our identity, be whom ever they want to be and say what ever they want to say and that unto itself is a problem. This also gives those individuals a chance to prey on our children.

These are just a few of the uses that the internet provides for it's users some others are:

Bulletin boards
Newsgroups
File Transfer Protocol(FTP)
Remote Login(TELNET)

If you have reason to believe your child or teen is being lured by someone for illegal purposes, contact your local law enforcement agency IMMEDIATELY.

How can you reduce "Internet Risk" to your child or teen?

There are three primary places from which parents can obtain parental control tools with the features described in this brochure.

1. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
The best place to start is with the company that provides you with a connection to the Internet, such as America Online or Prodigy. Most offer a range of control features, often for free.

2. Your Local Computer or Retail Store
Here you can buy "blocking and filtering" software, such as Cyber Patrol and CYBERsitter, that includes features similar to the ones provided by an ISP. You have to set up these products on your own computer.

3. Your Web Browser
You also can use certain Web browsers, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, to enforce parental control rating systems.

The bottom line:

It is up to you to use your computer knowledge and your basic parenting skills to insure that your children are safe while on line.

Spend time with your children at the computer. Guide them to areas that will hold their interest. and teach them to use bookmarks. Many parental, family, religious and hobby magazines list interesting web sites that target specific ages. Review the sites and bookmark those you would like your children to visit.

If you have older children or teens, ask them to teach you about the computer and the internet. During these sessions, you may learn more than which buttons to push.

Establish rules for using the internet, i.e.:

1. Determine time of day and the length of time your children may be online
2. Do not give out personal information (i.e. real name, address, phone number, etc.)
3. Never agree to personally meet someone unless with the parent. That person claiming to be a 12 year old girl may be a 55 year old man!
4. Never send your picture
5. Do not answer messages that are inappropriate
6. Tell the parent if someone insists on violating the above rules
7. Watch for signals and investigate
8. Talk with your children about the sites they are using and who they are e-mailing
9. Look at what they are printing (the trash can is a great source of intelligence)
10. Review their bookmarks

Check the computers cache. The cache stores every visited page, leaving a great trail. (Kinda like checking your cars odometer the night after.) If your child is clearing the cache after every use, that may also be a clue. If he or she does not know about the cache, don't tell them! The cache should be cleared from time to time to free up space on your hard drive