Children's Online Safety

Set up a kid friendly online surfing environment.
April 2008
by Ryan Hagen

The Internet certainly is a great resource, but the online world can also be a scary place for children. One in five children who use the Internet were solicited for sex in the past year, according to a report published by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the University of New Hampshire. The same report states one in four children were exposed to photos of people having sex.

To help keep their children safe online, parents should consider following some of the tips below:


  • Talk to your children. It might sound simple, but two-way communication is the best way to pass along Internet knowledge and keep tabs on what your kids are doing online. What kinds of sites do they use? What kinds of games do they play? Do they use instant messaging?
  • Install content filtering software to block inappropriate websites, such as those with pornography or content too old for them. Some content filtering software1 allows parents to set up custom profiles for each user. These profiles guide it in blocking content that is not appropriate for that child. Some content filtering software also have features such as the ability to block instant messaging, chat rooms and email programs. As well, it can compile regular reports on what sites have been blocked.
  • Guide them to safe places2 on the web. There are lots of sites where you know you are very unlikely to find something offensive or that would put your children in danger.
  • Consider establishing a family agreement. While they might not work for all families, a list of computer guidelines all family members agree to adhere to could be beneficial. It can include such things as how many hours the computer can be used each week, an agreement not to give out personal information or to report certain things such as incoming messages with offensive language, happening online. An example of an agreement can be viewed at http://wiredkids.org/resources/documents//safesurf_agreement.html
  • Teach your children to protect their privacy. Explain to them the dangers of “too much information online.” It is very important they know not to divulge such details as age, address, personal photos, what school they attend or banking information online.
  • Encourage them to report anything unpleasant online to you. It is important that you know what is going on and they are the best sources of that information. Has a stranger asked for a photo or send them a photo? Does someone they don't really know want to meet? Did someone send your child something that upset them? Once you know what they have seen, you can discuss it.

The Internet is a big place, but by following a few guidelines it can be a much safer environment for our children.

1 ParetoLogic PGsurfer is free content filtering software that offers an array of features to keep young people safe online.

2 The ParetoLogic powered www.safesurfer.org is an innovative website that is a fun, educational and safe place for children to visit often. They will be drawn there by the video games, game reviews and forum. As well, the site is packed with information about how to safely surf the Internet waves.