Children and teenagers get a lot of benefit from being online, but they can also be targets of crime and exploitation in this as in any other environment. Trusting, curious, and anxious to explore this new works and the relationships it brings, children and teenagers need parental supervision and common sense advice on how to be sure that their experiences in "cyber-space" are happy, healthy, and productive.

Putting the issue in perspective, although there have been some highly publicized cases of abuse involving computers, reported cases are relatively infrequent. Of course, like most crimes against children, any cases go unreported, especially if the child is engaged in an activity that he or she does 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. To tell children to stop using these services would be like telling them to forgo attending college because students are sometimes victimized on campus. A better strategy would be for children to learn how to be "street smart" in order to better safeguard themselves in any potentially dangerous situation.

What are the risks? There are a few risks for children who use online services. Teenagers are particularly at risk because they often use the computer unsupervised and because they are more likely than younger children to participate in online discussions regarding companionship, relationships, or sexual activity. Some risks are:

Exposure to inappropriate material: One risk is that a child may be exposed to inappropriate material of a sexual or violent nature.
Physical molestation: Another risk is that, while online, a child might provide information or arraign an encounter that could risk his or her safety or the safety of other family members.
Harassment: A third risk is that a child might encounter e-mail or bulletin board messages that are harassing, demeaning, or belligerent.

How parents can reduce the risks. Most online services and Internet providers allow parents to limit their children's access to certain services and features such as adult oriented "chat" and bulletin boards. Check for those when you first subscribe. In addition there are now programs designed specifically to enable parents to prevent children from accessing inappropriate materials on the Internet. These tools, while not foolproof, are useful for helping parents control children's access, but they cannot take the place of parental involvement and supervision. The best way to assure that your children are having positive online experiences is to stay in touch with what they are doing. One way to do this is to spend time with you children while they are online. Have them show you what they do and ask them to teach you how to access services.

While children and teenagers need certain amount of privacy, they also need parental involvement and supervision in their daily lives. The same general parenting skills that apply to the "real world" also apply while online.

If you have cause for concern about your children's online activities, talk to them. Also seek out the advice and counsel of other computer users in your area and become familiar with literature on these systems. Open communication with your children, utilization of such computer resources, and getting online yourself will help you obtain the full benefits of these systems and alert you to any potential problem that may occur with their use.

Guidelines for parents. By taking responsibility for you children's online computer use, parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of being online.

Make it a family rule to:
Never give out identifying information - home address, school name, or telephone number - in a public message such as chat or bulletin boards, and be sure you're dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving it out via e-mail.

Get to know the services your child uses. If you don't know how to log on, get your child to show you.

Never allow a child to arraign a face-to-face meeting with another computer user with out parental permission.

Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter messages that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening or that make them fell uncomfortable.

Remember that people online may not be who they seem.

Remember that everything you read online may not be true.

Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children.

Remember to monitor their compliance with these rules.

A child or teenager's excessive use of online services or bulletin boards, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is potential problem. Remember that personal computer and online services should not be used as electronic babysitters.

Be sure to make this a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than a child's bedroom.

Cell phones. Today it is important to remember that cell phones are not much different than computers. Not only can the cell phone be used to speak with anyone 24/7 but they also offer standard features including text messaging, email and full Internet access including unlimited web surfing and access to social networking sites. Additionally, cell phones have built in cameras and video features and the ability to easily send images to others via the phone itself. Much like with the computer it is important to set guidelines for cell phone use with your children and monitor their cell phone activity. You may also want to consider limiting certain features on your child's cell phone plan like turning off the camera and messaging features. This simple step may help to prevent your child from sending inappropriate images of themselves or receiving inappropriate images of others.

Need more information? Have questions?

Ask an expert visit www.NetSmartz411.org