NCJ Number
235225
Date Published
2009
Length
16 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the various ways in which kids can access the Internet with current technologies as well as the various ways for kids to interact with others on the Internet using the written and spoken word along with video and photographic images, this brochure offers tips for parents and guardians in helping their kids be safe while using the Internet.
Abstract
Given the variety of ways and places that kids can access the Internet, parents can't constantly monitor how their kids are using the Internet. Still, allowing kids to go online without supervision or ground rules would leave them vulnerable to all the risks posed by entering a world in which predators are constantly patrolling the Internet for victims of various types of crime and abuse. This report advises that one of the most important actions by parents is to begin a dialog with their kids about the rewards and benefits and potential risks of Internet use. This brochure provides a list of the most popular online activities for kids, along with the strategies for and benefits of reducing the potential risks associated with those activities. The brochure outlines the benefits and potential risks of the following Internet activities: using e-mail, instant messaging, social networking, cellular telephones/wireless devices and texting, posting videos and photographs online, and online gaming. Other sections of the brochure provide advice on ways to enhance kids' online safety skills, and online resources for families.