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KIDS SAFE, one of the nation's leading groups on child safety issues, has produced an Internet safety brochure used by law enforcement officials, educators, and parents. To date, over 75,000 brochures have been circulated.
Parents must be aware of the risks of letting their children use the Internet:
- Exposure to sexual or violent material
- Arranging a meeting that leads to molestation
- Harassing messages.
KIDS SAFE wants to help parents, especially those who may not be familiar with the Internet, to become aware of the risks and the tools they can equip themselves with to help prevent their child from becoming another victim of child exploitation over the Internet.
In today's world the Internet is the new playground where pedophiles attract children. KIDS SAFE has documented 30 cases of known child exploitation over the Internet since 1994. These tales of horror should serve as a wake-up call to parents about the new dangers facing them and their children every day.
However, the most effective method to stop unsuitable material from entering the home and to help prevent children from becoming victims of the proliferation of child molesters on the Internet is parental involvement. By using the Internet with their kids, parents can introduce them to the values that they want them to use when surfing the Internet.
KIDS SAFE is continuing to promote nine simple guidelines to help keep your child safer while using the Internet:
(1) Monitor your child's use of online services, just as you would your child's entertainment activities.
(2) Get to know the online services your child uses.
(3) Advise your children that the people they talk to online may not be who they say they are.
(4) Instruct your children to never give out any personal information such as home address or telephone number to anyone they talk to online.
(5) Advise your child not to arrange a face-to-face meeting with anyone without your permission. If they want to meet with someone you should monitor and make sure it is in a public place.
(6) Advise your child to never respond to threatening or obscene messages.
(7) Set rules and guidelines for your child's computer use.
(8) Look into services that will help put safeguards in place to make sure that children cannot access adult-content bulletin boards.
(9) Give your children the important personal safety knowledge that will keep them safe from child predators in any situation, including playgrounds, malls, your neighborhood, and the Internet.
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