Protecting Your Kids:
Steps You Can Take Now

1. Talk to your kids about their internet habits.  Do they have a blog?  Go on social networking sites?  Use instant messengers and chatrooms?  What do they use the internet for?  How much do they know about internet safety?

2. Make sure any profiles and blogs they have online are set to “Private” or “Friends Only” settings.  Go through your child’s friends list and make sure they know everyone listed there in the real world.

3.  Know your child’s screenname for any blogs or social networking sites they frequent.  Make sure they know that you will be checking on their activities for their own safety. 

4. Google your child.  Type their first and last name and any screennames they have into a search engine and see what comes up.  If you find anything that is too personal or was posted without your child’s permission, contact the website owner and/or their host to get the information removed.

5.  Check your internet browser's parental controls.  Most browsers will let you filter out sites that meet certain criteria.  This information should be stored in ‘Preferences’.

6.  Download and install a third-party filtering program.  Explain to your child what the program does and why it’s there. 

7.  Maintain an open dialogue with your child about the internet and their online activities, so in the event something does happen, they know they can turn to you first.