Internet Safety Advice for Parents and Guardians

Did you know that not all youth are equally at risk for internet victimization? Most teens are making safe and responsible choices when it comes to their online activities and relationships. However "teens who are facing real world personal challenges including mental health issues, difficulties in school, and or challenges in relationships with family and friends area t high risk for Internet victimization. They frequently seek at attention online. They are less likely to pay attention to obvious risks or to make good choices. They are highly vulnerable to manipulation." -Nancy Willard Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use

Parental involvement, support, and open communication are key protective factors for all forms of child sexual abuse including Internet victimization. As adults, we need to pay attention to what our children are doing online and to make sure that the adolescents in our lives understand the risks involved with using the internet and more importantly to reinforce the idea that they can come to us with any questions or concerns that might arise.

Find out from your teen what they enjoy doing and where they like to spend their time when they are online.
Know what devices in your home allow you to connect to the Internet. Your computer is not the only gateway, cell phones, console games (PlayStation and Xbox) and portable games systems can connect to the Internet as well.
Remember that while parental controls may be useful in blocking content from younger children the determined adolescent has become quite adept at bypassing parental controls and filtering software through the use of proxy servers.

Remind your teen:

To be smart about what you post on the Internet and what they say to others. The Internet is a lot more public and permanent of a place than many teens think. Colleges and employers frequently check out online identities of perspective candidates.
Adults who talk to them about sex online or want to meet with them or other underage teens for sex are committing a serious crime.
Sending sexually explicit images of themselves over the internet (Sexting) is a felony offense and can get them and anyone who receives those images into serious trouble.