MySpace, Facebook, and various other sites are feeling the pressure to lay down guidelines that protect younger users and they are seeking to meet these expectations to the best of their abilities.

The first step many have taken is to demand that nobody under the age of 13 is actually utilizing these sites. This protects the vast preteen population which thus far was at the greatest risk.

Unfortunately the crooks have caught on to this phenomenon and are varying their attacks on the now slightly older users of the social networking sites. Granted, some of the under 13 crowd is still logging on, but with parents and now also networking site administrators being more vigilant, these incidents are fewer and farther in between.

Thus the online predators are not appealing to the budding sexuality and also need to be accepted among older peers that is a determining factor in the psychological and emotional makeup of younger teens.

One of the latest trends in social networking is the daring of men to have young girls post photos of themselves in the nude.

These photos are then taken and either sold by the perpetrator or may actually be used against the teen in a form of blackmail attempt if she does not follow the wishes of the predator with respect to online conversations and sometimes even real life meetings.

Parents must be aware – now more than ever – that an open door policy is the only way to keep their teens safe online.

While it would be great if the various social networking sites, where such predators appear to congregate, could simply weed them out, the facts proclaim that parents must be vigilant and help their kids to become Internet savvy users of the online sites they love to frequent.

Perhaps the most prevailing myths about Internet safety is the one that suggests downloadable software can protect the younger set against the antics of the online criminals.

This is not the case. Instead, you will find that many crooks have already figured out how to disable such software and they are more than happy to teach your kids and anyone else who wants to be “cool” and fit in with the “in crowd.” Using these psychological tricks, the online predators keep parents in the dark and kids more or less completely exposed.

Another of the more pervasive myths about a href=”http://websafekid.com/weblog/category/online-safety/” target=_blank >Internet safety states that most chat rooms are monitored by a responsible adult who will immediately halt any discussions that are objectionable.

This is not only untrue but by and large a myth that predators would love to have parents believe! The few monitored chat rooms that do exist are not generally very heavily frequented and the development of a new “in crowd” lingo often makes it hard for those trying to keep an eye on interactions to figure out what is really going on.

Facts about kids and Internet safety reveal that many times neither the kids nor the parents understand truly how sophisticated online predators have become and how little software is actually going to protect a younger person.

Even teens who have no desire to view objectionable material have at some point been exposed to pornography and online predators have found that their best fishing grounds are the social networking websites.

While kids may enter these sites with the best of intentions, the easygoing atmosphere, the fun interactions, and also the pressure of those interacting sometimes may be sufficient to not immediately log off and tell a parent when they are participating in an online discussion that suddenly turns into an unwanted sexual advance.

As a matter of fact, requests to meet for sex, discussions about sex, and even explicit conversation offered up in a sometimes joking manner can infiltrate even the most innocuous situations.

Facts about kids and Internet safetyalso reveal that even those who were trained by their parents and in schools to be safe online were able to be swayed and eventually gave up personally identifiable information to paid individuals hired by researchers for the sole purpose of finding out how kids would react.

1. Do not give out your social security number. There is no reason that anyone online needs this number for any reason. Unless you are an online worker who is required to submit this number, no other businesses or websites have any reasons to ask for it.

2. Have a dedicated credit card you only use for online purchases and bill paying. This protects the integrity of your other credit cards and the one card may be suspended or canceled if a crook got a hold of the number.

3. Never use a debit card for these kinds of payments. Offering a debit card means opening up the gate to your bank account and a crook might clean out all of your ready cash before you are even aware of the problem.

4. Do not respond to emails asking you to confirm your log in information or personal passwords you used on a site. Instead, log on to the site directly and find out if there really is a problem with your account. The odds are good that this is simply an attempt at having you click through to a third party link where your information is harvested.

While many are great ways of providing interactions among peers, parents must be proactive in working with their independent minded teens to recognize problems before they occur and then offer them the tools to deal with the issues as they crop up.

chat room safety tips are posted by a majority of social networking sites, but observing them is actually the duty of the end user.

Teens need to recognize objectionable content and work with the social networking site’s technical support team to have it removed.

Explain to your teen that this is not squealing or tattling but instead a way of keeping safe younger users who might not realize what they are getting into and may find themselves in serious trouble were they to click on the link and become exposed to this kind of visual imagery.

Encourage your teen to have an online persona that does not necessarily link back to her real self. She might make up a name, a look, and certain hobbies and list them in addition to her own.

This way she may enjoy interactions with peers while at the same time throwing off others who are trolling the social networking site for personally identifiable clues that may point to the real identity of those posting there.

Finally, teach your teen not to fear being “uncool.” Giving out personal information in a chat room is dumb and it is preferable to be considered “uncool” than dumb.

Statistics of online predators are sobering to parents not only because they showcase how widespread the infestation with such individuals is, but also that sometimes their very own children stand in the way of getting the help they need to deal with unwelcome advances.

Statistics of online predators, such as they are published by the Crimes against Children Research Center, are sobering to parents because they divulge that only one quarter of children who are exposed to sexual content or overt solicitation will actually go ahead and let a parent know.

The other three quarters do not mention anything; it is unclear if this is for fear of having Internet privileges revoked, being considered uncool by peers online and off, or simply because they are making their first experimental steps into sexuality and are flattered by the attention they are receiving.

Sadly, these statistics of online predators also reveal that a good portion—about 22%–were actually aimed at those children who are between the ages of 10 and 13. Granted, many social networking sites do not allow minors under 13 to join, but this is a rule that is broken consistently.

Statistics of online predators also reveal that those Internet savvy teens that spend a good chunk of time online networking socially or simply participating in online discussions will be subjected to unwanted sexual advances. It has been estimated that about one in five of such teens was exposed to this kind of solicitation which ranged from requests to meet for sex over sex laced talk to requests to divulge personal information with sexual connotations.

Of course, the most sobering statistic comes from eMarketer which shows that more than three quarters of children thus solicited are willing to part with personally identifiable information and therefore pose a serious risk to themselves and their families. In its statistics of online predators, the website suggests teens were willing to throw caution to the wind simply because they were offered merchandise or free goods or services if they would divulge such information. Although parents routinely warn their children against such behavior, it appears that free t-shirts and other goodies have the power to trump any such admonitions.

One of the new Internet safety policies on Facebook that is applauded by parents is the idea of resolving a complaint made within 72 hours; this includes the receipt of the initial complaint, the acknowledgment of the complaint to the maker, the review of the offending link, a resolution with the other party, and then a reporting back to the maker of the complaint. This kind of speed is unheard of in the industry and has garnered Facebook a lot of fans in the parent community.

Of course, the whole success of this approach depends on the child using Facebook actually initiating the complaint, or giving a parent the heads up to do so, and this might not always be a realistic expectation. Although parents applaud the new Internet safety policies on Facebook, they sometimes fail to realize that children are hesitant to report someone, fearing either retaliation, alienation of friends, or simply being perceived as being “uncool.” It is therefore vital for parents to not let up with their training about Internet safety!

Of course, these kinds of Internet safety software recommendations are sometimes followed through in the home as well, yet with computer savvy teens they are not usually feasible in the long run. After all, the average teen only requires seconds to learn how to undo a filter and online predators are only too happy in teaching unsuspecting teens online how to take their parental control software offline and then engage it again later on.

Fortunately there are other choices of Internet safety software recommendations every parent should know, and the Web Safe Kids website is clear in suggesting Web Watcher, a program that permits not only for parental safety features but that also goes further and records each and every keystroke the child makes, thus permitting parents access to emails, chats, and records of websites visited. Since many of the children victimized will not let parents know about being propositioned online or receiving objectionable materials online, this tool allows the parent to see for themselves what is happening in the child’s inbox.

The insidious nature of anonymity on the World Wide Web makes it hard to successfully continue catching online predators and as law enforcement ups the ante with more sophisticated methods, so the perpetrators learn to adapt and much like cockroaches will they will learn new tricks and better ways to erase any traces of their activities.

At the root of safety, however, are the tried and true bits and pieces of advice that cannot be repeated often enough to kids: privacy is a vital component and while children will be chatting online and even making friends online, such friendships must strictly remain in cyberspace and not cross the line to include phone numbers, the exchange of addresses, and even worse, a divulging of parental work schedules or forecast absences from the home.

Catching online predators requires awareness, consistent teaching, but first and foremost parental training. As such, it is not sufficient to simply warn children that there are online predators, but it is vital that children know how they might act, and what they might ask the child to do.

It is insufficient to simply teach a child about the presence of such individuals. In the same vein, catching online predators is not enough. Training—the actual role playing effort between a parent and child—is the vital component that might make the difference between a child who is safe online and one that might throw caution to the wind and gamble on the person on the other end of the conversation really being who and what they proclaim to be.

Since children usually do not know how online predators masquerade, it might be an eye-opening experience for them to see mom or dad typing messages in the same way a child their age would. The learning experience is obvious: if parents are able to do so, what would virtual strangers be able to do to a child? Parental training cannot be stressed sufficiently, even as the race is on to continue catching online predators and getting them off the World Wide Web.

As a matter of fact, many an online predator delights in teaching and informing gullible teens and younger computer users how to circumnavigate parents control software, and in some cases also how to turn it back on. When this risk is added to the statistics revealing that only roughly one quarter of kids exposed to objectionable materials and contacts will actually report it to a parent, it becomes obvious rather quickly why Internet safety software recommendations do not make up for parental supervision.

Sadly, it is the advance of such technology which is giving parents a false sense of security and thus is contributing to a temporary letting down of the guard rather than becoming savvy enough to anticipate that the online predators are evolving with the technology.

To this end parents must not decrease their vigils but instead remain focused on keeping their children safe and being intimately involved in all aspects of their kids’ online presence. Sure, kids might not always be forthcoming with the information pertaining to all their surfing and related activities, but failure to dig deep and continue digging might actually put the child at more risk—even with top notch protection software in place.

Unfortunately, this discounts the fact that younger kids, too, are accessing the site. Granted, Facebook is very clear in stating that its services are not legally available to those under 13, but parents should be aware that this caveat can neither be enforced by the site, nor is it always honored by kids and their friends. Thus, the new Internet safety policies on Facebook are somewhat flawed from the onset—albeit without the company having the power to act.

What sets apart Facebook from other sites is the quick turnaround time it offers with respect to notifications of abuse posts. Seeking to root out nudity, porn, and the kinds of contacts that are overtly odd or inappropriate, the new Internet safety policies on Facebook set forth that the company will address the complaints it has received and then report back to the complaining party within a record 72 hours.

Of course, when you remember that most online predators do not overtly act as nuisances but instead seek to gain kids’ trust, the odds of catching them and weeding them out are fairly slim.

You should always protect important personal information such as birth certificate details, banking or social security numbers. Be wary to give out your work, school or home address.

These pieces of information can be used to steal an identity or to target a person’s location for harm or abduction. Though we often think that these events can not happen to us it is all to easy to fall victim no matter who you are, your age, race, sex or other details.

Keep your personal details to a minimum. When creating user names, passwords or profiles keep information broad for safety. Do not use birthrates, anniversaries or pet names as passwords. Create passwords out of letter number combination. Also use a user name that has only your first name and a random number.

Keep your last name personal along with any other details that could be sued against you. By following simple steps such as the suggestions above you can lower your risk of falling victim to someone or something that you may regret encountering. Identity theft is the most rapidly growing crime two years running.

Not only online but through paper mail misuse. It is our responsibility to us to protect our personal details and to keep our families safe by sharing how to use the Internet wisely and cautiously.

At times the predator may have masqueraded as another teen and slowly built a relationship that way, while at other times the assailant was indeed a teen but did not divulge that the objective of the communication was more or less with the intent of personal sexual gratification or for personal profit.

Teens and chat rooms have become hot topics on the evening news, and by and large it is agreed that teens need to be much more careful. Just because another poster knows the current hip lingo, is in tune with the latest tunes, and also expresses an interest in the same teen heartthrobs does not automatically mean the person on the other computer is another teen.

Warning signs that should alert teens and chat rooms users alike are posts that ask in increasingly bolder and more persistent manner for a phone number, and address, a photo, or other information that should not be divulged online.

Similarly, if the person begins to message excessively and demands certain behaviors from the teen, it is time to cut lose that poster. Additionally, any threatening emails or personal messages need to be reported to not only the chat room administrators, but in some cases also need to be taken to the police and perhaps even further, depending on the content.

The fun can be swiftly blown away by the online predators that linger on sites waiting for the right details to be reveled for them to pounce on an unsuspecting chatter. As parents or simply as a teen there self, there are certain precautions one should take in order to keep themselves safe in a chat room.

One should stick to their user name and if you feel certain to provide your real name keep it on a first name basis only. This is done to prevent a predator from being able to search a chatters full name and to prevent a physical stalking occurrence. Chatter should also keep their work, school and home address offline for the same purpose.

Also keep your age true. Do not pretend to be older than you are and do not mislead someone about who you are. This is dangerous and illegal. You can cause great harm to yourself or another by playing this dangerous game. If in fact the chatter is under the age of sixteen they should have parental consent and an Internet safety discussion. Safety is key and anyone of any age must be cautious and prevent him or herself from becoming a victim.

Due to this alarming reality for anyone who is considering setting up an online profile you must take precautions. There are seven key considerations to follow when setting up your online profile.

1.Private. Set your profile to private for security.

2.When setting up your location keep it broad. Simply choose country or state for safety.

3.Use selective photos. Nothing embarrassing such as scantly clad photos or pictures of parties with alcohol.

4.Details should be kept at a minimum. This keeps you from becoming a bigger target.

5.Remain on a first name basis. Otherwise you run the risk of an online predator from searching deeper for your location.

6.Say no to trackers.

7.Share your safety tips with your friends and family.

Following these key steps can keep you or a loved one from becoming a target of a potentially dangerous situation. Keep your location, time and event schedule and other personal bits of information to yourself for the best possible protection of your identity and over all safety.

Also keep your home address, banking information or other details offline for the ultimate protection of online identity theft. Your Identity is your personal details that make you; you and you certainly don’t want that to be taken away and used by any one other that yourself.

Online profiles from the major social networking sites are the premier source for the data being mined, and considering that part and parcel of these profiles is a clear spelling out of likes as well as dislikes, philosophies, and other marketable data, it is not at all surprising that marketers see this source as fair game.

Creating online profiles while keeping your identity safe protects from data mining in more ways than one; while you want to keep Internet predators at bay, you also will protect yourself from marketers and the endless parade of spam emails in your email’s in box. In addition, by only giving out a few choice bits and pieces of yourself you will generate more interest in your profile by those whom you are interacting with and less by marketers who need facts.

To this end, be only as detailed in your description of yourself as you feel you must be to hook up with like-minded individuals. Do not put down the names of the stores where you shop or the brand names of clothes you like to wear.

This information is considered to be of premier commercial value and the marketers on the troll will stop at your profile for sure. Furthermore, have a dedicated mailbox associated with your social networking presence. This prevents your home mailbox from getting overrun with spam and it also protects your address and phone number, since many times Internet services are now bundled with residential phone services.

Internet safety and social media sites is somewhat at odds with one another since the latter requires a certain amount of personal revelations while the former dictates that the individual play their card close to the vest. How can you have a vibrant online presence and find hundreds of friends, but at the same time not divulge too much of yourself?

A guide to Internet safety and social media sites begins with safekeeping information such as telephone and cell phone numbers, as well as a street address. If a first and last name is part of the profile, do not divulge the name of the city where you reside but instead refer to it by identifying the greater area surrounding it. Thus, if you are living in Cerritos, California and are putting down your first and last name, refer to yourself as living in the greater Los Angeles area.

Additionally, keep your information safe on social media sites by not posting objectionable photos of yourself or writing actionable bits and pieces of blogging. Name calling and slurs are huge liabilities and will also get you some unwanted attention of those who might threaten your personal safety because of your writing.

In the home computer monitoring software can keep tabs on a spouse with porn addictions or a teen who is considering meeting a chat buddy in person. Many consider this as spying but if it can protect someone from harm it is more good than bad.

In business use computer-monitoring software can keep tabs on employees and how they may use or abuse the Internet at work. 64% of employees use work Internet access for personal use. 75% of spouses flirt with an outside party over the Internet. 1 out of 5 children on the Internet are solicited for sex over the Internet.

These facts are harsh and true. Protecting those you love from harm is a great importance and monitoring software can help. There are numerous companies offering this type of software. You can find these products online or at a local computer goods store. This software is also useful when an unfortunate event occurs.

In the event that a youth leaves home to meet with a chat affiliate the meeting time and place can be known. This can help save the life of those you love and hold dear to you. Take some time to review software demos and product reviews. This can help you in deciding which brand to use and answer any questions you have on how to use the software to keep your family protected online.

These four dangers include online dangers, predators, bullies and identity theft. If the dangers of Internet use are discussed along with prevention methods to be put into action you can feel confident to allow your children on the net. First thing to discuss is that there are people online in chat rooms and other areas that come off kind but do so often with bad intentions. Everyone on the net is not who they claim to be.

These persons are often sexual predators who prey on innocent children and do their worst to lure them into a physical meeting place for abduction. Never meet a chat or Internet buddy alone is the number one rule. Also discuss the protection of private information such as phone numbers, full name and address of school or home.

Knowing the dangers that are possible and how to avoid them is key to internet safety. Visit sites such as websafekid.com for more safety information and how to best protect your family online. You can create or print safety quizzes to ensure that your family absorbed the information discussed and that they are ready to be safe and responsible online.

1.Firewall and virus protection use

2.Alternative browser use such as Firefox.

3.Do not save passwords in browser.

4.Do not provide personal information of any kind online.

5.Protect user-names and passwords.

6.Create new passwords for each website using a combination of numbers and letters.

7.Use safe downloads only.

8.Clear browser history after Internet use.

9.Block pop-ups and cookies.

10.Do not meet Internet companions in person, especially alone.

The above steps protect both the user of the Internet and the system in which the Internet is being accessed by. The online dangers are many. There are sexual predators, viruses, identity thieves, hackers and more that wait and watch for a chance to get information. These precautions can protect you from loosing valuable property and keep your family members from possible abduction and abuse.

You should also take some time to discuss these dangers as well as the present existence of Cyber bullies with your family. Some people may laugh at the thought of Cyber bullies but there are reports of bullying online and off that lead our youth to suicide. The mocking and harassment in a young persona life can become so elevated that it leads to a feeling of hopelessness.

This is why so many sites ask that any type of inappropriate behavior be reported. Keeping your family safe is as easy as sitting down for 15 minutes and discussing dangers and prevention. You and your family will be glad that you did.

In all actuality it is nothing more than what the government does to the public. Phone conversations and emails are viewed for protection and prevention against terrorism and other dangers. The use of this software helps parents, spouses and employers to know which sites are being accessed, what is said in an IM or chat room and if there are any dangers that are ongoing.

If one takes the time to read over Internet danger statistics it will make you run flailing your arms to a local computer goods store. 75% of spouses flirt with an outside source online. In other words they are not flirting with their significant other. 26 million children surf the Internet and 1 out of 5 are solicited for sex online.

64% of employees access employment Internet for personal non-work related searches. The dangers that we are faced with are real and can cause great consequences. It is the responsible thing to do in keeping tabs on what your computer is being used for no matter who the user may be.

Because of unfortunate events and information in the media, My Space has placed safety tips and or guidelines on their site for parents and users. These Myspace safety tips can be summed up in 5 steps.

1. The My Space profile is public. Do not post personal information such as a phone number, address, screen name or specific whereabouts on your space.

2. Be wary of additions to your friend list. Be sure you really know the person you are adding.

3. Harassment, hate speech or any other inappropriate behavior is not tolerated and should be reported.

4. Do not post embarrassing photos or comments as this may come back to haunt you in the future.

5. Honesty is a must. You must be 14 years of age or older to use My Space. If at anytime you are caught lying about your age your profile will be executed.

Speak to your children about self-representation. Discuss how they represent themselves can either benefit them or cause trouble in their lives. What you consider cool one minute is embarrassing the next. There are reports of youth taking pictures of under age intoxication and lude conduct and posting it online.

This can create gossip about ones reputation and even prevent job hiring as an adult. The old saying is what you see is what you get. Keep this in mind. For more information on web safety or My Space you can visit the site of your preference for more detailed information.

Because of such dangers and harms online we must be cautious of what we say and do online. This is why My Space has set up guidelines and boundaries for users and parents to understand and put in place for Myspace safety. These guidelines are as follows below.

• Honesty is to be used at all times. My Space users are to be age 14 and over. If at anytime a user is found to be at a younger age than 14 the My Space profile will be deleted. The danger of telling a chat buddy that you are older than your true age is not to be taken lightly. This is not to be done as a joke or for “fun”. Both youth and adults can suffer consequences that are controlled by the law.

• Self-representation is a key factor. Do not take lightly the way that you represent yourself online. If you portray any other type of person that you are there can be once again consequences that result in negative effects.

• Any inappropriate behavior, language or content can be reported causing a My Space profile to be extinguished.

• Caution is advised when adding people to your friends list. It is suggested that only close friends and relatives be added to your space.

• The profiles on My Space are public. Do not post personal information or embarrassing material. You could fall victim to discrimination and other dangers such as predators or identity theft.

Following these guidelines can prevent dangers and ensure a positive My Space experience.

Children have to understand the importance of keeping their whereabouts and personal details private. No phone numbers, addresses or other details should be provided online or by phone. If a friend does want to meet in person it has to be with a parent or guardian present. There are other dangers such as online bullies, sexual content sites and identity theft that should be discussed.

Your kids should know to stick to sites that they know and have permission to visit. Blocks can be set in place on your computer to keep out and prevent viewing of explicit content.

Rules and guidelines should be put into place to protect our children on the Internet. There is computer-monitoring software that allows the recording of all computer use. Instant messaging, chat rooms and website visits can all be recorded for safety tracking your families use online.

If you need help or information on how to best discuss Internet dangers with your kids there are websites such as websafekid.com that offer helpful advice and quizzes. Simple steps taken can keep you and your family safe on the Internet. Discussing these dangers and learning ways to prevent them from becoming a reality in your life is what keeps the use of the Internet successful.

1. Always have an active firewall and virus for computer protection. Viruses have become a harmful past time for hackers. Your computer can be reduced to nothing more than a paperweight with a powerful virus. Your personal files and information can be accessed and stolen without a firewall.

2. Use another browser other than Internet Explorer. Virus creators attack Internet explorer the most due to its popular use.

3. Do not allow your browser to remember passwords. This puts you at a safety risk

4. Do not provide any personal information online. This information can include phone numbers, addresses, email user-names or banking information. Identity thieves are watching and waiting to get there hands on this.

5. Keep your user-names and passwords to yourself.

6. Create passwords from a combination of letters and numbers. Create new passwords for each site.

7. Download only known items and understand what you are downloading before doing so.

8. Clear your browser history after web use.

9. Block cookies and pop-ups

10. Do not meet a chat buddy or other affiliate in person, especially alone.

These 10 steps are simple and common sense but there are people who do not use them. These people put themselves at a dangerous risk of r personal harm to themselves as well as their equipment.

Some of the websites they will access will be phishing for information while others will seek to glean personal information for marketing purposes. Still other sites, especially those that contain forums and blogs and are known to be visited by students and minors in general are a hotbed for predators that are waiting to make contact with a child.

Internet safety for students begins at home and teens will do well to listen to parents and caregivers about the attention they need to pay when interacting with others. While there are undoubtedly times when having contact with another online entity, such as a webmaster or forum poster is appropriate, there will be times when others may seek to take advantage of this contact. If students are made aware of the potential pitfalls, they will be less likely to become part of a statistic.

Yet Internet safety for students does not only take place online, it also takes place off line and in their surroundings. For example, there are those times when an Internet predator is actually looking for kids and teens using the ‘Net to strike up a conversation. Depending on the sites the minors are visiting, the predator will have an easy in for the sake of conversation and thus students need to be aware to watch themselves when interacting with strangers during research time in public venues as well.

If they feel it is necessary a guardian or parent should accompany them. Also ensure that students understand that either party does not permit cyber bullying. If threatening words are used or any offensive words are used it should be reported. Classes can be given through video or written tests on Internet safety. This can be a great way to bring important topics of Internet safety to light for students.

You can provide examples of incidents where practicing unsafe Internet methods harmed this age group. There is no need to be graphic, simply state that there have been cases of abduction, stalking or even fraud and identity theft. Teens or other youth are just as susceptible to these dangers and should be careful not to provide their personal information including phone number, full name, social security number or home/school address.

One of the best ways to protect students is to set up blocks on the computer in the environment they’re in. Also give a small safety course prior to allowing them online. Then have each student read a contract and sign it stating that they will follow Internet safety rules and if any are broken privileges are revoked.

This is another great way to keep students safe and protect them when using the Internet. Safety is first and foremost when it comes to carrying for any youth of any age. Just as parents want to protect their children, teachers want this very same safety for their students and you can achieve this through rules and guidelines.

First things first, tell your younger children to only visit sites with their parent’s permission. Sites that offer appropriate content for the age of the child. You can set these sites up within the favorites section of a tool bar for quick and safe website selections. For teens it can be more of a serious discussion as to what the real dangers are. Cyber bullying and online predators are a real danger.

Your kids and teens should be informed that at anytime if they are threatened or experience content from a site that makes them uncomfortable in anyway they should discuss this with you and proper action can be taken when necessary. It is also key to warn your children to never to meet with a person that they have been speaking with personally, especially unaccompanied.

If they want to meet this new cyber friend it is best to take a parent or guardian with you for safety. Abductions are increasing from cyber stalker meetings and cyber bullying is very alarming as well. With hateful remarks and trickery played on teen emotion there is often a tragic end to this situation.

This is why it is such a great importance to speak with all ages of your children and prepare them on how to keep themselves safe from the unwanted dangers associated with the Internet. If this is done prior to letting your young family members online you will be setting them up with the knowledge they need to protect themselves while having a successful Internet experience.

Our youth often believes that they will not be affected by these dangers and it is our jobs as parents or guardians to teach our youth that they are in fact susceptible and how to prevent these dangers from occurring to them. My space offers a safety tips site on how to protect yourself and or your kids and teens.

These guidelines include not posting personal information that could allow for an online predator to find your physical location. Do not mislead others in thinking that you are of an age that you presently are not.

Do not post any threatening or inappropriate text on your site and report any that you see or receive. Do not post any thing embarrassing or lude as this could lead to unfortunate events in the future. Basically keep your blog site clean and professional.

Any inappropriate behavior is not tolerated and will be dealt with appropriately. This information should be read through with your teens and once you are certain they understand this you can make a judgment on letting them proceed with their site creation.

Do not be afraid to tell your kids that you will check in on the site and do some preventive maintenance by reviewing the information. This is not taking away their privacy, as it is simply a safety precaution. Discussing this information with your teens and kids you can build an understanding and create the safest environment when using the Internet.

There are some basic tips to give out to your students prior to allowing them to go online. Create a policy that they sign alongside of your own name. Keep this policy posted aside of the designated computer. Ensure that they only access the Internet with your or another adults in the facilities permission.

If a site with inappropriate content is pulled up allow for an adult to be aware of this and close the site. Allow your students to access sites that have only appropriate content that is age appropriate.

These sites can be saved in the favorites section for easy access to appropriate sites. If a student wants to visit a site you can have a rule that you have to preview it prior to allowing access to it. By setting up rules and guidelines to follow then students can have an enjoyable and successful time while surfing the net.

For examples on Internet safety policies you can find as well as print these offline. There are games and videos on Internet safety available to help you teach your students about online predators and cyber bullies. This can be done with parent’s permission or as a parent accompaniment day.

This is also helpful for times when the Internet is used at home for assignments. Internet safety is key to making the best experience from an online search for both kids and parents. Internet safety is a must in today’s daily life and you can create a safe environment when you set rules in place.

When a teacher’s guide to Internet safety does not go far enough, it is most likely going to present a serious clash between the teacher, the school administration and also the parents.

While it makes sense to block out pornography, the kinds of sites that discuss reproduction should be available to students wishing to learn more, yet in so doing, some parents will find that the information provided clashes with either their value systems or will present a serious challenge to their personal beliefs.

Even as a small group of parents may not be sufficient to bring about change, the fact that a teachers guide to internet safety can never be all encompassing and thus satisfactory to each and every parent.

In the same vein, the fact that a teacher’s guide to Internet safety is standard issue in many a school that offers computer access to its students also gives rise to the need for more comprehensive protection from online predators as well as materials which may not be suitable for viewing by minors.

Although a meeting of the minds with respect to a common standard is probably still far off, it is suggested that each parent contact the school administration to find out what the rules for online safety in their school district are, who enforces them, and how far reaching they may be.

Thereafter, it is up to the parents to make up the gap and prepare their children for perusing the Internet and staying safe. Not even a well drafted safety guide will protect a minor from each and every possible online danger they may end up facing.

Sadly, it is the very minor who is to be safeguarded by these precautions that will turn around and seek to circumvent them in an effort to continue communicating with an online friend who just might be a predator.

There are three Internet safety tips for kids and teens you cannot be without:

1.Minors should not have private Internet access. While most children like the idea of having their own computer for homework and to play games, access to the Internet should be restricted to a centrally located computer within the home that affords little privacy. This cuts down on the incidents of unacceptable communications and will permit parents to occasionally take a peek at the kinds of emails their child is writing or responding to.

2.Each computer in the home must be outfitted with a parental lockout feature that is up to date and modern. Do not underestimate your child’s Internet savvy! Online predators are known to have ferreted out this kind of info from kids and then taught them how to disable the parental lockout under the guise of wanting to email them a game or some other communication that would be caught by the parental lockout.

3.Establish and maintain open communication about any and all goings on online. Internet safety tips for kids and teens are useless if the latter do not feel comfortable discussing odd behavior of an online friend with their parents. If your child fears a revocation of Internet privileges when she or he asks you a potentially explosive question, all safety tips will be for naught!

They summarized her research and her recommendations, dividing them into two posts, one that focuses on E-Safety, and a second regarding children and video games.

Both are well worth your time to read…

A parent’s guide to Myspace and Internet Safety
requires the parent to be aware of the dangers currently lurking online. Visit your local police department’s website to learn what the latest scams and schemes of online predators are. Some law enforcement agencies will actually publish their own parent’s guide to MySpace and Internet Safety and you will be wise to download a copy and read it through.

Once you are familiar with the online modus operandi of the predators on the lookout for vulnerable minors, honestly assess your child’s weaknesses and see if there are any open for exploitation online. Maybe your child is a horse aficionado and thus the lure of seeing some great photos will cause her to disable the parental lockout. Conversely, your son might be a role playing fiend, and thus any online contact who also proclaims this affinity will become a fast friend, confidante, and perhaps suggest a personal meeting for a game outing.

It is hard to come face to face with your child’s weaknesses that make them ready fodder for a predator, yet if you fail to take this step and help your child to build up defenses, the only other person looking for these weaknesses is a possible criminal whose only intent will be the harm of your child. No parent’s guide to child’s online safety would be complete without the warning to be on the lookout for potential character traits that might be exploited!

The dangers of using the Internet without rules and a basic safety course are far too likely to bring about a negative out come. Before your children, preteens or teens get online and begin reaching out to the world, they need to know how to protect themselves from online predators. Do not post photographs online if possible. This puts your face out their for all to see, good and bad. Do not provide personal information through a website or email. Protect your full name, address, email, and school information.

By putting this information online you provide predators with the information of what you look like and where they can find you in person. If you choose to build a personal site like those on my space, do so with precaution. Also remember that if someone posts a cruel or angering remark or comment just ignores it.

You can’t help it when people choose to be ignorant and to use words and comments that are simply not necessary, but you can be the bigger person and pay no attention to the non-sense.

If you come across a site that is offensive or just makes you feel uncomfortable, close the site and inform a grown up. Visit sites that are appropriate and always enter keywords that are specific to your information you are looking for. Be safe, protect yourself and you will see that the Internet is both fun and educational.

Kids and even parents have been found to attack kids online verbally. Taunting emails and disturbing remarks have lead to the unfortu