Here are some very important facts why you should be concerned about what your kids are doing online:
Rule: Establish online rules and an agreement with your child about Internet use at home and outside of the home (i.e., at a friend's house, at school, at the library, etc).
* 77% of parents do not have rules about what their kids can do on the computer, such as restricting the amount of time their kids spend on the computer (Kaiser Family Foundation Study, March 2005).
Rule: Spend time online alongside your child and establish an atmosphere of trust regarding computer usage and online activities.
* Only 25% of children who received a sexual solicitation told a parent (NCMEC, 2000).
Rule: Monitor the amount of time your child spends on the Internet, and at what times of day. Excessive time online, especially at night, may indicate a problem. Remind your child that Internet use is a privilege, not a right.
* Watch for changes in your child's behavior (mention of adults you don't know, secretiveness, inappropriate sexual knowledge, sleeping problems, etc.).
* 23% of youth reported being “very” or “extremely upset” by exposures to sexual material (Victimization of Youths on the Internet, 2003).
Rule: Do not permit your child to have an online profile containing personally identifiable information or pictures of themselves (My space.com, AOL profiles, etc.).
Rule: Check with your child's school to see if student projects, artwork, or photos are being put on school websites. Schools need to be reminded of that risk and encouraged to allow access to student activities posted on the school's website by password only.
Rule: Instruct your kids never to plan a face-to-face meeting with someone that they have met online.
Source: http://www.protectkids.com
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