Respond immediately to potential threats
and suspicious activity. Teach your child
to avoid websites and games that ask for
money for any reason, ask for your person-
al information, include chat rooms, contain
adult content or gambling, or target violence
or hate towards people. If your child acci-
dentally opens an inappropriate website, it is
best to log off and exit the site immediate-
ly. If the program prevents you from closing
the window, simply shut the computer com-
pletely off to exit.
Report suspicious or dangerous contacts
that may make you feel uncomfortable or
suspicious. Teach your child to never keep
secrets and how important it is to tell some-
one right away if she is being approached
or harassed. Even if curious, avoid opening
suspicious or threatening email and messag-
es, but be sure to keep the unread messag-
es to use as proof. If necessary, contact your
school, the local police, or the FBI. Speaking
up will help prevent similar threats to others.
Respect others while online. Teach your
child that the same rules apply to the Inter-
net that applies at school. She shouldn’t do
anything online that she wouldn’t do in the
real world. Make her aware that the typed
word can be easily misinterpreted, more so
than the spoken word. Treat everyone with
respect and think before you act. Remember
that online actions are not anonymous, and
you are legally responsible for those actions.
Restrict computer access and the amount
of usage your child has. Your child should
use a family computer in a common family
area and be taught how to responsibly nav-
igate the Internet. Monitor online activities
to provide support and direction. Make sure
you know all of her passwords to websites,
social media sites, community portals, and
school portals. Ensure your child is using
proper “netiquette” and being nice to others.
Lastly, be a part of your child’s online experi-
ences and create a fun journey to explore the
wonders of the Internet as a family.
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Starring Phoenix, with permission and thanks from Richards/Lerma
Child Photo Magazine | 81