My Side

(Carl Reed is the safety communications manager for the Internet Crime Complaint Center, an FBI-affiliated clearinghouse)

Recently, representatives from several police departments in Cameron, Potter, McKean and Elk counties participated an Internet safety workshop.

Much of the advice that was shared during the "Protecting Kids Online" workshop is also applicable to parents, educators and all others who are interested in the safety and welfare of our young people. Purpose of this essay is to make people more aware of ways our children can be protected from the dangers of the Internet.

Many parents are unaware that the Internet contains millions of sites readily accessible for pornography and deviant behavior.

First of all, parents and others should protect all personal information. The more a stranger knows about your child and family, the less he is a stranger. Do not allow your child to post personal information such as name, address, phone number, school attended or photographs in personal profiles, chat rooms or on any websites.

Many parents would be shocked to see some of the information their children regularly share on websites such as My Space. As a parent, it is not only your right, but your duty to oversee the posting of information about your child on the Internet.

If your child is creating a screen name, make sure he or she chooses something neutral that does not involve a real name, nickname, or a name that is suggestive in nature.

If your child participates in chat rooms, blogs, My Space, etc., have all account settings set as private, secure or blocked. In conjunction with firewall software, this will make it harder for hackers to find their way into your home's computer.

Talk with your children and set up rules and guidelines as to what sites they can surf, for how long, and for what purpose.

Report threatening or explicit communication as soon as it is received. Inform your Internet service provider, file a complaint at ic3.gov, or contact your local law enforcement agency.

Never allow your child to agree to meet someone he or she has met online.

Beware of Internet sites that might charge for services without receiving parental permission.

Talk to your children about the different types of sites on the Internet and assure them that if they do come across content that makes them feel uncomfortable, they can report it to you and you will not become angry.

Most importantly, monitor your child's Internet use. It's unreasonable to expect a boy or girl under the age of 18 to exercise restraint.

It's a new world from the one that existed as recently as a few years ago. The old model of parenting may not apply. One of the worst disservices a parent can perform is to allow his or her child unsupervised and unmonitored use of the Internet.