Internet Safety For Kids

All around the globe, the Internet and computers have become indispensable. We communicate with friends, search for information, shop online, use online banking to pay our bills and many other things that make our lives easier. However, there are also certain dangers that come with Internet usage. Aside from viruses, the Internet could also pose threats to our children if they are allowed to use it without proper monitoring software.

Parents can take preventive measures to tone down the dangers. But in order to be successful with the implementation of parental control software over the Internet, parents have to be tough. For the sake of your children's well-being, you need to be a parent and not a friend. We are all aware that identity theft, pornography.

A parent needs to know how to deal with computers and the Internet. Knowing how to check the previous websites recently visited, learning how cache is deleted and having the know-how in putting restrictions to unwanted websites are just a few of the skills parents need to have.

Never let your children access the Internet alone in a closed room.

Children may need privacy but hours and hours spent alone in front of the computer could spell trouble and should not be permitted. You would have no way of knowing what is going on behind that door unless you ask them and there's no guarantee that they will tell you everything. You need to encourage your children to talk to you openly about everything under the sun to build their trust and it is a good thing to start while they are still young. Never burst out in anger if your children would have opinions which are different from yours and when they say things that would upset you.

Computers should be placed in a common area.

The best place for the computer that your children are going to use is an open area like the family room. Never place computers in your children's bedrooms. You can set-up a schedule for family members to take turns using the computer. For your children's protection, children should not be allowed to use the computer unsupervised and isolated.

Educate your kids about Internet security.

Children will grow into responsible adults if they are trained at an early age. Teach your children not to provide personal information over the Internet. Make it a point to know the people in your kid's chat list and the ones they usually chat with. You have to instill in their minds that important information like their home address, their present school, the time their parents come home and other information that may pose a threat to their safety should never be given to anybody online.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Parental Control Filter Options

In this day and age of untrammeled information explosion, setting parental control filters to regulate children's online activities may be the wisest thing to do. It is laudable to offer children the freedom to explore the vast expanse of knowledge and communicate with others. But safety and security being paramount, parental control filters with time-tested and cutting-edge software are the right way to channel children's curiosity.Children are naturally drawn to anything that not only raises their curiosity but also offers them easy reward. Parents, therefore, have a duty and a responsibility, to guide their kids in their impressionable and formative years in the right direction. For instance, it is essential to emphasize early on the importance of never giving out one's name, phone number, address, social security number, or other private information to strangers online. It is easier said than done, especially when children run into tricksters who are too smart to handle. Of course, there are laws out there. For instance, according to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), any web site that collects information from children under 13 must clearly state the nature of information they're gathering and to what purpose. More often than not, it is mandatory that the web site obtains parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about a child. Parents may want to read privacy statements in detail before deciding whether to give their consent. But if there is no reason why anyone should waste their time in the first place, there is no better way than to exercise parental control filter options to the fullest extent possible. Parents may want to configure software to allow only approved contacts to prevent children from running into strangers while instant messaging. And it is here that technology can play a major role. Parental control software can block exposure to such websites and inappropriate content for good. Software that can enable parents to monitor, manage, and administer their children's computer use is the key to success.

Parents would need to know how to limit searches, block or allow certain web sites. After all, any filter should be intelligent enough not to block educational content that can enhance a child's intelligence and social awareness. It is essential that parental control filters provide adequate guidelines that could help parents control child's use of online communications safely and intelligently. While setting user accounts, parents can filter any inappropriate, violent games, media players or chat programs by setting up limited user accounts for their kids. Being in full control as administrators, they can easily set web browser security and privacy preferences.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Using Parental Controls

Parental controls allow you, as a parent or guardian to be able to control the computer in which your child or younger adult is using. You know the importance of doing so. Online predators are out there and they are readily stalking even the youngest of children that venture onto the internet. Using parental controls allows you to keep control of your situation so that you can make decisions for your child that will ultimately help them manage what happens online.


What Can Be Done?

Each internet service provider have their own different set of parental controls that you can use. First thing that you will need to do is to find out what types of software are being offered to you through your provider. If you do find that these parental controls are not enough to really protect your child, you can find others available to you to buy. Before you make that investment, keep in mind that some internet service providers do provide this, or at least some parental controls, with their service to you.

There are various options that you can use. Here are some of the services that are available.

- Monitor who can send your child email.

- Monitor who your child can send emails to, as well.

- Determine who can send messages to your child or who your child can chat with in chat rooms. Limit them by name or age, or just allow certain ones.

- Monitor the time that they are online. Set a timer for each visit as to how much time they could be online every time they are available onto the web.

- Determine which websites your child can go to as well as what type of website it is. Some limit the child to only those websites that are approved by you.

There are more services that you can use when it comes to parental controls. There is no doubt that you'll manage to find the right type of control for your needs either with your current internet service provider or with additional software that you purchase. The goal here is to find the product that provides you the overall best solution and protection for your child. This isn't the type of thing that you need to put aside and do later.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com

Internet safety program for parents Monday in Randolph

A program for parents on Internet safety will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday in the Randolph High School auditorium, 70 Memorial Parkway.The program is sponsored by the Randolph School Department, the Randolph police and the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council.

“Our hope is to arm parents and guardians with the necessary knowledge to protect their children,” said Randolph police Detective Gabriel Pantazelos, the school resource officer at Randolph High School.

The presentation will include information on cyberbullying, personal safety and online predators. Materials will include essential tools for parents to reduce the chance of being victimized while using the Internet.

Online communication, social networking and online resources will be among the other topics.

There will be a question-and-answer period.The program is free and open to all adults.

source:http://www.patriotledger.com/news/education/x145758048/Internet-safety-program-for-parents-Monday-in-Randolph

5 Steps to Internet Safety For Kids

While the Internet has certainly brought a wealth of information, convenience and has a made the world a much smaller place, the Internet has its liabilities and especially so for children, teens and all minors. The responsibility of protecting children from online dangers lies with parents. There are several steps you can take to provide Internet safety for kids.One solution, which some parents choose, is to completely restrict their children from using the Internet. This solution while keeping your children safe is not always the best option. One, the Internet is here to stay, it is an important part of everyday life, and its use is a skill that is often required by schools and in the work place. Also, if you just tell your kids that they cannot have or use the Internet then you eliminate the opportunity to teach them how to use it safely. So, if they do use it when they are away from you, (which believe me does happen, even with the best of kids) at a friends house or school then they will not have the tools they need to stay safe. Having talks and discussions with children about the risks is very important, and as a parent you should set certain limits and keep the conversation open in regards to Internet safety.

5 Steps to Internet Safety for Kids:

1. Have a conversation with your kids. Explain to them, in as much detail as their age will allow some of the dangers that exist online. For example, that strangers in chat rooms, are just that, strangers. That they should never agree to meet anyone, give out their phone numbers, personal information like address etc. The same conversation that you had with them about not talking to strangers applies even more so when online, so use that and extend it further. Remember that most of these steps will only apply to computers you have at home. When your children are away from you they will have access to other computers and that is when those conversations will be the guidance that ensures their safety.

2. There is software available, which can help to protect your children from any content that is not appropriate for them.

3. All web browsers allow for parental control settings. You can make personalized adjustments from the browser to set limits that you desire and to insure your child's safety.

4. You can increase children's safety by creating Limited User Accounts for your children from your Administrative Account. This restricts children from changing system settings, installing any new software which includes chat programs, games, etc. You can see the help section of your Operating System for detailed instructions on how to create User Accounts. This is a simple process and the instructions are step by step.

5. Be active and be a snoop. Yes a snoop, keep track of the websites that your kids are surfing. You can view all websites that they visited in the History List or Cookies from the web browser. You can even see the email addresses, correspondence and downloaded files. If you see something inappropriate or dangerous take the necessary parental actions. Sometimes we want to be our children's friend but we have to always be parents first.

Always remember that these are concrete steps that will provide Internet safety for kids and protect them while they are online and still allow them to get the benefits of using and learning to use the Internet.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Kidsguard4u : Internet Safety

With Internet usage growing all the time internet safety has become an important issue. There are those who look to take advantage of the internet for criminal activity. There are many things that internet users need to look out for, among them the possibility of identity theft and fraud, viruses and unsafe emails.Identity theft has been an issue off-line for a long time but it is now just as much of an issue, if not more so, online. A good example of internet identity theft is someone gaining your bank details and using them to purchase goods or services online. Some attempt to use other people's details to open bank accounts or credit card accounts. This allows them to spend using a credit card that is then billed to the person whose details it was set up with. So if this happens to you it could ultimately lead to you being in debt. There are even examples of people getting mortgages using such techniques. It is therefore always important to be careful with where you submit your information to. Never submit your personal information or bank details to a website you are suspicious of.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

The Internet is an amazing tool that people rely upon more and more as time goes by.As computer use become more widespread it is often advantageous for parents to give their kids access as soon as possible because the internet will certainly form a big part of their later lives.Unfortunately, however, children also tend to be the group of internet users who are most at risk.Therefore it is important that you know how to keep them safe from harm.There are several ways in which you can keep your children protected on the net.The key, I believe, is to educate kids from an early age so that they can spot the dangers themselves.

You should let them know that even fun sites, such as chat rooms, can be dangerous due to the fact that some people aren't who they say they are and are, in fact, after contact details or pictures.Your kids should also be aware that social media sites are social rather than private - if they use them then they need to be really careful about what sort of information they reveal about themselves.

Personal info, such as phone numbers and addresses, should never be revealed on the internet because just about anyone could then find those details.There are many tools that you can use that will allow your children to surf the web whilst remaining clear of danger though.
For younger kids there are child-safe browsers that only allow them to view filtered content.

Remember though that such browsers are not a substitute for proper parenting and supervision which is essential in my opinion, especially when you consider the fact that certain undesirable sections of the community will try to hack such software so that they can get to the kids behind those programs.If your children are older then you can but various types of logging software which can be used to find out what they have been doing, maybe even exactly what they have typed.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com

Know how to Select the Best Activity Monitor Software

Many people are becoming aware of the benefits of using activity-monitoring software in their systems. This type of software plays an important role in ensuring the right protection for your system. Apart from the malicious websites, which are ready to install harmful viruses as well as spyware programs that can endanger your system, you may also loose the important data and files from your system without a proper protection. All your chat rooms, family contacts, relationships will be under threat. Therefore, it is very important to have the right activity monitor software in your system. This software is also called as remote monitoring or spy software.

When you are using good software for monitoring, you will be able to record all the internet activities, chat room conversations, keystrokes as well as downloads within in minutes. It does not matter whether you are planning to install these software in your home or office, you will be provided with an updates of the activities and programs happening in the system. There are also computer monitoring software programs that will even provide you the data as well as information that are collected in the report format. Apart from this, there are also many advanced software programs that will allow you to view the screen in real time. As there are different types of monitoring software available in the market, it is very important to consider few important aspects that will help you to select the right activity monitoring software.

Below listed are some of the important things you have to look for when selecting good activity monitor software:

Types of activity recording options:

When you are looking for a software programs, it is very important to select the one that can provide you the captured version of all the commonly used programs. It should be capable of storing activities such as mailing, chatting, surfing etc. This software will also help you to protect your children from mishaps, as you will be able to view their social network usages as well as instant message conversations. Moreover, you will be able to monitor children within a short time with the help of these software. A lot of people, who are looking for an option to ensure internet safety for kids, are taking advantage of these software applications. Monitoring software can also help the bosses, who are looking for an option to catch the employees who go for chatting and web usage more than the limited time.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com

Software to monitor and record user activities in your absence

Software to monitor and record user activities in your absence without requiring any prior technical knowledge about the software. It is a best monitoring tool for small or big organizations and other social groups like parents, teachers and offices to invisibly record user activities.Keylogger, invisibly, records, keystrokes, user, activity, computer, encrypted, log, files, information, email, id, pc, tool, automatic, typed, conversations, chat, website, password, documents, surveillance, home, office, children, online, offline. Are you facing problems in looking what all activities are going behind your presence? Just relax we have a cost-effective and easy to use software to have full control on your computer in the most affordable and easiest manner. Keylogger software is used to record every user activity performed on the computer in encrypted log files with send option to send the information at specified email id.

It invisibly records all typed emails conversations, voice chat conversations, chat records, website visited, username-password and every other particular information. It is very convenient and easy tool for home and office users to have continuous monitoring of your pc. 

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/software-to-monitor-and-record-user-activities-in-your-absence-3329929.html

Monitoring Software - What You Need To Know

If you install Internet monitoring software that blocks websites, logs websites visited and filters bad words and pictures your kids could still be in danger!.Unless your software has a key logger, or you have also installed a key logger you will never know who your kids are talking to online. Yes, you will know where they have been online and the time spent there. However, you will not know what others are saying to your child or what you child is saying to others. You will miss critical elements of a conversation that would throw red flags up everywhere to you, but your child would miss.A good key logger is absolutely necessary to capture conversations between your kids and their friends, and supposed friends online. Another advantage of a key logger is the ability to refer to its logs if something terrible does happen. In a worst case scenario, God forbid, were your child does run off or disappears you have your logs to research. Every key stroke typed on your computer over the past weeks, months or years, depending on how often you clean them up, are available for you to read. These logs could be invaluable in discovering who your child was talking to, what they were saying and what was being said to them. A content filterblocker will not do that.

There are software programs that will do it all and others that only do certain parts. I recommend that you do your research thoroughly before purchasing a program to keep your family safe online.The important thing to remember is that you do need to install software. All the experts agree this is the single best thing you can do to keep your family safe online.

When purchasing Internet safety software a few features high on your list should be;

    * Content filter (Filter out inappropriate images and text)
    * Key logger (capture key strokes from both sides of a conversation)
    * Blocker (auto by selectable criteria and manual by entering sites you want blocked)
    * Email alerts (Get immediate alerts when certain, selectable events occur)
    * Nice easily readable reports.
    * Stealth (the ability to run completely invisible to everyone)

Remember, once you have chosen your software and installed that software unless you check up on it from time to time it won't do you any good at all, unless you have to refer to it after an event. The single most important part of Internet safety is you, the parent, getting actively involved with your families Internet usage and staying alert.

source:http://ezinearticles.com

Parental Monitoring Software: Concerned About Where Your Kids Really Are?

Why consider parental monitoring software (or cell phone spyware)? If you're worried about your kids, you don't have to be like the millions of unfortunate parents out there who sit alone and worried at night, wondering if their kids are safe and behaving themselves. With parental monitoring software at your disposal, you'll be able to watch them at a distance without taking away their freedom to explore themselves. Here are a few ways this software can benefit you.Parental monitoring software is unique in that all you have to do is install in on your teen's phone. It only takes a few moments, and once installed, there's no need to reinstall it or add upgrades.You'll want to create an online account through their website, however, as this is how you will receive your information. Many parents even install it before gifting the phone. Reliable, undetectable, and accurate, it provides you with everything you need to know without your teen ever knowing he or she is being observed.

What sort of things does phone spy software report? A few basics include call history, text history, address book names, and GPS locations. Some even provide camera shots, if the phone has a camera. Either way, you'll be able to know exactly where your teen is and who he or she was with at any given time, day or night. Best of all, you can install parental monitoring software on more than one phone and still receive all of your information in one tidy spot.Some other things to look for in quality software include compatibility. The best spyware is able to work with iPhones, smartphones, Android, Nokia, Symbian S60, Blackberry phones, and thousands of others. You can learn more about which software is best for you and your price range by reading blog reviews or user comments. While these may not be 100% accurate, they're nevertheless a reliable way to find information on which product is best for you.

These are only a few ways that cell phone spyware can benefit you. Along with making sure that your teen is being truthful about his or her activities, you can also ensure that they're staying away from activities that may potentially harm them, such as drug use, alcoholism, drag racing, illegal parties, trespassing, and worse.

source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Parental-Monitoring-Software:-Concerned-About-Where-Your-Kids-Really-Are?&id=5876256

Internet Safety for Kids

Parenting covers a lot more than just meeting your child's education, clothing and all other basic needs. It leans ensuring that your children are brought up in a morally upright way. The Internet Safety for kids is a must read for every parent who wants to succeed in doing this. This very handy manual provides information and guidelines on learning some of the acronyms used on the Internet. You may be shocked to learn that the language your child uses on the internet is very different from the everyday language as we know it. This is a good manual especially when you need to know danger spots your child may get caught up in.Net Safety for kids will equip you with knowledge of the tools you will need to use in tracking your child's Internet activities. While it's important to know what your kid is up to on the net, care should be taken not to interfere with the kid's privacy. Doing so may lead to inevitable conflict between the two of you and intentional disobedience. It's up to you to go the extra mile in ensuring that your child remains safe even from bad influence, when they are browsing or playing games on the Internet.

The Internet is like an open market where anything goes. It contains the most informative, educative sites with the most valuable information. It also contains the most repulsive, violent, vulgar, and pornographically laden sites which are harmful to a child's developing mind. As a parent, get a copy of the Net Safety for kids manual and stay keep up with the dynamic cyber world.

Most parents have neglected child safety on the internet thereby exposing their children to contents that may destroy their morality. A parent should know that the internet is also a host to "predators" who are cunning whereby most kids and even some adults who are computer-literate may not understand. In addition, you may not be aware that kids using the internet are growing up with a language that you may not understand.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/internet-safety-for-kids-852169.html

California Middle School Wins FBI National Internet Safety Challenge

The students of Ascencion Solorsano Middle School here have emerged national champions in the Federal Bureau of Investigation- Safe Online Surfing (SOS) Internet Challenge.The Ascencion Solorsano Middle School students posted the best score in the country among 8th graders and will receive the highly-coveted FBI-SOS National Trophy and a visit from FBI special agents and employees.Judy McLeod, an educator at the school, guided the group of 8th graders as they produced the top cumulative results on the FBI-SOS Internet Challenge post-quiz.The FBI-SOS program was developed and administered by the FBI and the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University. This program runs each school year from September through May, is free and delivers critical Internet safety information in a fun, competitive format for 3rd to 8th graders with a separate monthly challenge for each grade level.

The program is open to public and private schools and is designed to meet state and federal internet safety mandates. The goal of the program is to provide students with knowledge about how to avoid dangerous situations on the internet, such as internet predators and cyberbullying.Each month students from registered schools take an online pre-quiz, learning about internet safety in the scavenger hunt and then take an online quiz. At the end of each month, six trophies (one for each grade level) are awarded to the schools with the highest scoring students on the FBI-SOS Post-Quiz.

To date, approximately 108,000 school students in 41 states have participated in the FBI-SOS Internet Challenge.The official award ceremony will take place on April 19th at Ascencion Solorsano Middle School at 7121 Grenache Way, Gilroy, CA 95020.

source:http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110420-332283/California-middle-school-wins-FBI-national-internet-safety-challenge

Why is Internet Safety Important?

Why is internet safety important? The number one reason is because there are pedophiles that seek out young, innocent children to prey upon by using the internet. This is a problem nationwide. If you read your syndicated newspapers, you will find numerous articles regarding this problem. Parents really need to safeguard their children. Every computer comes with safety features. Always go to "internet options" and set security levels on the computer that your child uses all the time. There are programs that parents can buy that has "parental guidelines". These programs allows the parent to actually see what websites and chat rooms that your child visits. You can also set a time limit on how long your child can spend on the internet.Why is internet safety important? Because it may save the life of a child. There are bad people that live in our world. They do not care about the person they are chatting with on the internet. Their only concern is what they can get from their victim, no matter what, no matter how. If you love your children, you will want to restrict and or monitor all internet activity that they are involved in.

The internet was not designed for just chatting purposes only. It was designed as a research tool. There is information on the internet about every topic, person, people, place or things all made available at the click of a button. But because people are people and because people are inquisitive, then you get pedophiles that seek out victims on the internet.

Why is internet safety important? There are terrorists in the world. Remember Columbine, Colorado. The two students that killed their classmates had a website that was linked to terrorists. Fifteen to seventeen year old students cannot buy guns or ammunition without an adult with them. Someone had to supply those kids with the weaponry that they used to murder the other students. Columbine was the only school shooting incident that was linked to terroristic activity. It is so important to know what your children are doing and what they are involved in.

Your child may very well not like the idea of you "getting involved'. But remember, YOU are the parent. Also, remind your child daily of how much you love them, and how much you want to protect them. Help them be aware of the dangers that they can encounter just by surfing the web. Your local police officers can get information for you that you can share with your children. Go so far as to have a local police officer talk to your child. By doing this, you could very well save your child's life.

source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-is-Internet-Safety-Important?&id=1620596

Children Safety On The Web

The Internet exposes children to a whole new world which can contribute greatly to their education and can be very enjoyable.In our dynamic technological world where knowledge is power, parents want their children to surf the Internet, and learn as much as they can. With this wish there is also the desire to protect our children.The growth in Internet popularity is followed by a growth in immoral and criminal activities on the web. Hackers, crackers, web bullies, identity thieves, children predators all of them and more are out there in the cyber world.Since this generation of children possess high technological skills, the main problem that parents face is the need to create boundaries for their children in a virtual world where the authenticity of communication is questionable. In order to protect our children and educate them to safe and productive internet activities we should become Internet savvy and get familiar with our children's Internet experience.

Following are a few general guidelines:

1. Keep the communication channels with your child open. Show an interest in your child's internet activities. Supervise your child when surfing the Internet. It is important to try to understand your children experience when surfing the web, in order for you to guide and assist them.

2. Be a role model to your child. Constantly talk with your child on what is right and what is wrong when surfing the web.

3. Become Internet savvy. If you have knowledge about services and applications that are available on the Internet , you will be more effective when guiding your children. Sit with your children when they are surfing and try to learn as much you can about their habits. If you feel you don't have enough knowledge you can use Internet security websites in order to gain more knowledge and confidence. In addition, you can also talk with other parents.

4. Create a list of suitable websites. Give your children a list of websites that you find suitable for their age and that may interest them. Update this list on a regular basis with new websites in order to keep your kids interested. Once in a while, check if the websites you have selected are still suitable.

5. Make sure that the PC your child is using is in a family space , so you can supervise them.

6. Define clear guidelines for your children regarding Internet use. Different families may have different guidelines, but it is important that your children are aware of what you expect from them. Define the guidelines according to the child's age group. You can also define an Internet use policy that your child will be obligated to .

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/children-safety-on-the-web-963484.html
 

Preventing Children From Viewing Unsafe Content

The computer has opened the doors to the many types of things which can be done either online or offline. As such, there may be no specific way for parents to know what their children are doing online. Today, websites amount to the thousands of millions on the Internet, so it’s obvious, preventing children from viewing all sorts of stuffs can be very difficult.Some parents are strict with their children about using the Internet as they are aware about how their habits and lifestyles can be changed. On the other hand, other parents do not exert this authority, hence allowing children to view what they want on the Internet.if you want to monitor your kids' activity on the internet. What you need are the right tools and processes to ensure that your kids' internet experience is enjoyable and most of all, safe.

 While some parents allow their children a computer in their bedroom, others prefer the living room. The bedroom represents privacy, so children can be tempted to do as they wish. Alternately, the living room is a very accessible place, hence preventing children from viewing stuffs such as adult content on the Internet.

If you have already explained your children about the various things that they can see on the Internet which does not suit their age, then it depends on how much you trust them. Some children might tell you they have never seen or been to unsafe sites while others will simply lie to you. Some children easily lie to their parents because of the latter’s ignorance in Internet issues. Fortunately, even if you cannot stop your children to view all the negative websites, there are ways to limit the sites they can access. Security levels are available and can be installed on web browsers to prevent children from visiting improper websites.

With the advent of Windows Vista, Microsoft has enhanced the operating system’s security level. So, this means that children may find it hard to access all sorts of websites while they surf the web. A great thing parents can do is to create their personal account on their children’s computer. Every time the children want to use their computer, they have to request their parents for the username and the password which remains secret. You as the parent must make sure that you have the highest control on the computer to better monitor your children.

With an administrator account, you will be able to know what your children have been doing online and what sites they have accessed. Also, you will have the ability to see what files your children have saved or worked with. In brief, you will have an overview about how your children are using their computer. Besides, letting your children aware that you will be keeping an eye on them, they may most probably feel reluctant to see and do unsafe things on their computer.

Another good way to know what your children are doing is to frequently have a look at the history. The computer will always keep a history about the things which have been done during the day, unless the children delete them. For this reason, having full control over the computer is imperative.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/teenagers-articles/preventing-children-from-viewing-unsafe-content-541356.html

Information On Internet Safety for Kids Age 14-17 Years Old

Kids at this age start to exercise full freedom and independence. Sometimes, they try new things in order to test their capacity. But still, they lack the experience to judge things the right way and must be guided in areas where they are likely to commit mistakes, including the use of the internet.
Internet threats to Kids Age 14-17 Years Old

Kids at this age play online games, download music, and shop online. Most boys of this age engage in online gambling, look at explicit adult sites, gore, violence, and adult humor. Both boys and girls enter chat rooms and engage in private chats or use instant messaging like Yahoo! Messenger or MSN Messenger.

They are more welcome to accommodate online acquaintances and build relationships online that would possibly end up in a real-life meeting. They are more prone to receive pornographic spam and will likely end up clicking links that contain explicit material. They can easily be persuaded to join online contests and fill out forms that ask for personal information.

These may not seem to be a danger for them since they "are just trying out new things." But these are the things that you should watch out for.

Internet Safety for Kids:

Kids at this age start to exercise full freedom and independence. Sometimes, they try new things in order to test their capacity. But still, they lack the experience to judge things the right way and must be guided in areas where they are likely to commit mistakes, including the use of the internet.

Internet threats to Kids Age 14-17 Years Old

Kids at this age play online games, download music, and shop online. Most boys of this age engage in online gambling, look at explicit adult sites, gore, violence, and adult humor. Both boys and girls enter chat rooms and engage in private chats or use instant messaging like Yahoo! Messenger or MSN Messenger.

They are more welcome to accommodate online acquaintances and build relationships online that would possibly end up in a real-life meeting. They are more prone to receive pornographic spam and will likely end up clicking links that contain explicit material. They can easily be persuaded to join online contests and fill out forms that ask for personal information.

These may not seem to be a danger for them since they "are just trying out new things." But these are the things that you should watch out for.

Safety tips:

•    Keep the internet-connected computer outside their bedrooms

•    Create a rule on how to properly use the internet. Set a time where they can access the internet. Make sure they follow it.

•    If they are using the instant messaging, ask them on discuss their friends on the list. Tell them not to talk to strangers. Tell them to enter friendly and moderated chat rooms only.

•    Encourage them to talk to you about the people they meet online.

•    Tell them not to trust anyone online.

•    Set firewall or filtering software so that they can't access websites that contain explicit materials such as violence and pornography.

•    Remind your kids on the risks that online gambling may bring.

•    Tell them not to give up any personal information such as names, addresses, and bank account numbers.

•    Teach your kids to check with you first whenever they make online financial transactions including selling and buying online.

•    Tell your kids to exercise ethical behavior online and not to engage in fights and bullying.

•    Tell your kids not to open junk mails or download attachments from unknown senders.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/information-on-internet-safety-for-kids-age-1417-years-old-1039110.html

Keeping Teenage Girls Off Dangerous Websites

Like most teenage girls, Hannah Black and her friends love to check their Facebook pages and post photos.But one day, one of Black's friends was brutally attacked online."They were making up rumors about her, calling her a whore, saying she was ugly and she wasn't pretty and no one should like her and no one does like her," Black said."Here, this beautiful, smart, intelligent, well-rounded young girl being sexually harassed and taunted at every turn," said Black's father, Sam Black.
Besides being the father of a teenage girl, Black is an Internet safety professional.He knows first hand what dangers lurk online for teen girls."Body image, sexualization of women and girls, cyber bullying," he said. "All these things can play out on the Internet."Michele Borba, author of the "Big Book of Parenting Solutions," says while sites may post rules against bullying or harassing, not all teens follow them."There are a number of new sites that look like they're harmless, but are actually teaching our girls very, very vicious lifestyle changes," Borba said.

"Formspring is one of the new kinds of websites that looks like a social network that is popping up online for our daughters," Borba said. "It looks tame enough. But once they log on, what it actually encourages instead is to send vicious notes toward one another in an anonymous nature."Formspring.com said in an e-mail that they take safety and privacy seriously and have developed practices for blocking inappropriate content.The people behind Formspring say they're developing more tools for a safer online experience. For example, all questions sent to Formspring stay in a private inbox until a member responds.

But experts say social networking sites aren't the only types that raise concern.There are new online games where teens create and play highly-sexualized characters. "If you earn a certain amount of points in life, you can even buy yourself a sugar daddy," Borba said. "Totally unhealthy and you do not want your daughters in any part of it."Then there are the websites that promote anorexia and bulimia with photographs of frail and skinny models and step-by-step "tutorials."

"Specific directions on how to purge, how to purchase diet pills and it is doing damage," Borba said. "Stanford University found that 96 percent of girls who are anorexic learned a lot of their eating habits on those sites."So how can parents keep kids off potentially dangerous websites? They should invest in parental control software and monitor their teen's online history.They can also do Google searches on their kid's full name to see if anything comes up.A walk by to see if they abruptly stop as they're online is also a good idea.Finally, they should take the time to get Internet savvy. It could make all the difference in their daughter's life.

"You need to step up to the plate," Borba said. "You need to monitor because we're raising our children in a tough world."

source:http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8000536

Children Safety Online - Internet Safety Tips For Kids

Children Safety Online is threatened from different angles, but with my Internet Safety Tips for kids you can guarantee them a safe web surfing. Internet is full of websites with inappropriate content for the eyes of our innocent kids. And they are easy victims to sexual predators and pedophiles while chatting online. But you are only a few steps away to be absolutely carefree while your kids are surfing the web. Just follow these tips.
Tip 1 - Restrict their online access
To make sure that your children only see what is appropriate for them, you have to restrict their online access. With a filtering software you can decide, which content your web browser will show and which not. You can block specific URL's or web pages that contain certain keywords or phrases in general.

Tip 2 - Monitor their Internet activities
A monitoring software gives you direct access to all of your kid's online activities. Captured screen shots allow you to get log in detail for their email and social network account. They record every single word your children exchange in chat and instant messaging as well.

Tip 3 - Get a Parental Internet Control Software
With this software you get all the features to follow Tip 1 and Tip 2. A Parental Internet Control Software allows you to watch over your children's shoulder at every time and as soon as you see something suspicious or dangerous, you can react immediately, search the discussion and protect your kids from further damage.

If you want more detailed information about Children Safety Online, read this article too. You will find other links there to information about Parental Internet Control Software as well as a complete Parental Control Software Review and a Review about the best product on the market.

That children surf the web a few hours a day is nothing unusual. But did you ever think about what they are doing exactly, which web sites they visit and to whom they are chatting to? We want to give our children all the liberty they can afford, but for all of its virtues, Internet is a dangerous playground for our youngster.

Did you know, that 12%, (4.2 million...) of all websites are pornographic websites? Or did you know, that 1 out of 5 children between 11 and 17 years of age in the US are sexually harassed at least once while chatting online? I was shocked when I read this information! I started to research about Internet threats, the possibilities to protect children online and the different existing Parental Internet Control Softwares.

Now I would like to help other parents to protect their children too. You can find several short articles about the topic by visiting safe websurfing for kids. Check it out and learn how to protect your children while they are surfing the web.

source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Children-Safety-Online---Internet-Safety-Tips-For-Kids&id=2485801