What can a parent do to keep their child safe on the Internet?

• Educate yourself on basic computer knowledge.
  
  
• Become involved in your child’s online activities. Get to know their online friends the same as you would with their other friends.
  
  
• Establish guidelines for acceptable and appropriate Internet use. Many web sites have published suggestions and agreement contracts for children to sign for their parents concerning appropriate use.
  
  
• Discuss safe chat room participation. Advise them to report to you about anything that makes them uncomfortable and tell them not to respond to the bully in any way.
  
  
• Teach them to keep personal information private. This includes uploading personal pictures to the internet.
  
  
• Keep the computer in a common area in the house.
  
  
• Utilize a software application that manages and helps you understand your child’s online activity such as where they go, how long they are online, who they talk to, and what information they are sharing with others.
  
  
• Open up a positive dialogue with your child about forming and maintaining good online habits.