The Internet offers kids many opportunities for learning, constructive entertainment, and personal growth. At the same time, parents are concerned about the risks kids face online. The challenge for parents is to educate themselves and their children about how to use the Internet safely.
The FBI says most pedophiles are white men between 25 and 45 with above-average intelligence and income.
They often will pose as other children to gain a minor's trust on line. Here's what you can do to stop them:
Keep your computer in a family area to better monitor your child's activity.
Share your child's e-mail account and password.
Don't let your child post a profile with any Internet service provider that allows other users to learn about her or his age, address, gender or interests.
Prohibit your child from giving out personal information on line, or having an in-person meeting without you present.
Obtain parental control tools, such as Cyber Patrol or CYBERsitter, that allow you to monitor your child's activity on the Web and block out inappropriate material.
GetNetWise is a resource for families and caregivers to help kids have safe, educational, and entertaining online experiences. It includes a glossary of Internet terms, a guide to online safety, directions for reporting online trouble, a directory of online safety tools, and great sites for kids to visit.
GetNetWise is a public service brought to you by a wide range of Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations. The GetNetWise coalition wants Internet users to be only "one click away" from the resources they need to make informed decisions about their family's use of the Internet.
To report any suspicious activity on line, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE LOST.
