Internet Safety for Kids
The Key is Parental Supervision & Involvement

Cyberspace provides many benefits for children, but it also has many
hazards.

One of the first steps toward keeping your kids safe in cyberspace is to
become informed about the various sources of information available to
your children through the internet.

Don't put the computer in your child's room where he or she can close the
door and cybersurf unseen and unsupervised. Consider this a family
activity! In the majority of cases in which children have been victimized or
involved in computer crime, the computer has been located in the child's
room.
Provide rules, guidelines, and ongoing supervision to make sure their computer
usage is healthy and appropriate.
What You Should Know About Cyberspace

Computers are a valuable source of ideas, information, entertainment, and
fun--but they can also be very dangerous.

The potential for meeting criminals, who are eager to lure your kids into
undesirable and illegal activities, is becoming greater and greater online.

The internet provides access to no-holds barred sex talk and sources for
pornographic materials.

Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you
usually cannot see or hear the person, it is easy for someone to
misrepresent him- or herself. Someone indicating that "she" is a 10-year
old girl could really be a 30-year old man.
Do...
...use the internet as an educational tool to research and learn about various
topics and issues.
...use the internet to help with schoolwork.
...use the internet to "visit" museums in far away places.
...be careful about talking to "strangers" on the computer.
...respect the privacy of other users on the internet.
...use the internet to learn more about universities and colleges that you would be
interested in attending.
...be careful when downloading programs from the internet.
Don't...
...give your password to anyone.
...answer messages that make you feel uncomfortable because they seem
improper, indecent, threatening, or just "not right."
...give any personal information, such as your family's address, phone number,
credit card or calling card numbers, your school's name, or your picture to
anyone on a computer network that you don't personally know.
...never arrange to meet anyone you've met on the internet without telling your
parents.
Related Links
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Enforcement Unit
Cybertipline - report crimes online
NetSmartz - Offline activities, games, Internet safety pledges
SafeKids.com - Information and resources for being safe in cyberspace
SOC-UM - Safeguarding Our Children - United Mothers Organization