Child Safety On The Internet

For many years, Child Quest International and many other organizations have provided safety tips for children. The time has come to not only inform children how to be safe from strangers on the street, but from strangers on the computer as well. Of course, like most crimes against children, many cases go unreported, especially if the child is engaged in an activity that he or she doesn’t not want to discuss with a parent.

The fact that crimes are being committed online however is not a reason to avoid using these services. Education and communication are the keys to keeping our children safe. It is important that parents know and enforce safety rules for children using online services.

Rules for Online Safety

Guidelines for children (and parents)

1. I will not give out information such as my address, telephone number, the name and location of my school, my parents’ work address and telephone numbers or credit card numbers.
2. I will tell my parents if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
3. I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without parental permission. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that I will bring a parent with me and the meeting is in a public place.
4. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or make me feel uncomfortable in any way. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do get an upsetting message, I will tell my parents immediately so they can contact the online service.
6. I will talk to my parents so we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of the day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate sites for me to visit online. I will not access other areas or break these rules unless I have specific permission to do so.

Consider making this a family activity, keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child’s bedroom. Get to know their “online friends” just as you get to know all of their other friends.

Information provided by Child Quest International and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Child Quest International ● 1060 N. 4th Street, Suite 200 ● San Jose, CA 95112
(888) 818-HOPE ● Fax (408) 287-4676 ● www.childquest.org ● info@childquest.org