The
Internet
can
be
a
powerful
educational
tool
and
a
way
for
children
to
connect
with
people
around
the
world.
With
the
click
of
the
mouse,
children
can
see
sloths
in
their
rainforest
habitat,
work
together
with
fourth
graders
in
Sweden
on
a
classroom
project,
or
search
online
encyclopedias,
dictionaries
and
libraries
all
over
the
world.
Yet
it
can
also
bring
them
into
close
contact
with
inappropriate
images
and
information
and
can
be
a
potential
source
of
exploitation.
Here
are
some
suggestions
that
you
can
use
to
help
make
sure
your
child’s
journey
through
cyberspace
is
enriching
and
safe:
-
Develop
some
family
rules
on
computer
and
Internet
use
and
post
them
in
a
visible
place.
These
might
include
such
reminders
as:
the
time
of
day
and
length
of
time
your
children
can
use
the
computer;
not
to
give
out
personal
information
(such
as
home
address,
telephone
number,
parent’s
work
address
or
telephone
number,
the
name
and
location
of
school,
or
photographs)
without
parental
permission;
not
to
respond
to
e-mail
from
strangers;
to
never
agree
to
get
together
with
someone
met
online;
to
tell
parents
right
away
about
information
that
makes
your
child
feel
uncomfortable;
not
to
download
anything
from
an
unknown
person.
-
Look
into
blocking
software
or
filters.
All
of
the
major
online
services
provide
programs
that
parents
can
use
to
limit
their
children’s
access
to
information
on
the
Internet.
Also
available
is
web-filtering
software
that
blocks
access
to
sites
that
contain
language
or
content
that
the
user
designates
as
off-limits.
-
Place
the
computer
that
your
children
use
in
a
common
area
of
your
home.
-
Be
in
or
around
the
room
where
your
computer
is
located
when
your
children
are
using
the
Internet
alone.
This
will
allow
you
to
provide
guidance
and
to
occasionally
check
on
what
they
are
viewing.
-
Surf
the
Net
along
with
your
children
and
visit
their
favorite
sites
or
chat
rooms.
-
Have
your
children
use
child-friendly
search
engines
when
looking
up
a
topic
or
doing
homework.
-
Bookmark
your
children’s
favorite
websites
to
provide
easy
access.
-
Make
sure
your
children
are
only
exchanging
e-mail
with
people
you
and
they
know.
-
Make
sure
that
your
children
only
use
chat
areas
that
you
have
previewed
and
supervised.
-
Be
aware
of
other
computers
your
children
may
be
using.
If
they
are
in
the
homes
of
friends,
talk
with
their
parents
about
their
family
rules
on
computer
and
Internet
use.
-
Internet
accounts
should
be
in
the
parent’s
name
with
parents
having
the
primary
screen
name
and
controlling
passwords,
blocking
and
filtering
devices.
-
Children
should
not
complete
a
profile
for
a
service
provider.
If
using
a
chat
room,
children’s
screen
names
should
be
nondescript
so
as
not
to
identify
them
as
children.
-
If
you
suspect
online
"stalking"
or
sexual
exploitation,
report
it
to
the
police.
The
National
Center
for
Missing
&
Exploited
Children
(www.missingkids.com)
has
a
system
for
identifying
online
predators
and
child
pornographers
and
provides
information
to
law
enforcement
investigations.
Internet
resources
for
parents
www.cybersavvy.org
The
Direct
Marketing
Association
offers
information
for
parents
on
how
to
talk
to
children
about
protecting
their
privacy
online.
www.americalinksu.org
This
site
contains
Internet
safety
information,
tools
and
tips
for
parents
and
fun
and
educational
Internet
opportunities
for
children.
www.getnetwise.com
This
site
is
a
resource
for
parents
to
educate
themselves
and
their
children
about
how
to
use
the
Internet
safely.
It
provides
information
on
filtering
software
and
recommends
safe
sites
for
children
of
all
ages.
www.icra.org
This
site
of
the
Internet
Content
Rating
Association
contains
information
and
downloads
on
the
content
rating
system.
www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.html
This
site
links
to
the
Federal
Bureau
of
Investigation’s
Parent’s
Guide
to
Internet
Safety.
Kid-friendly
search
engines
Some
search
engines
are
specifically
geared
toward
kid-friendly
material.
Others
filter
out
sites
that
parents
would
likely
consider
objectionable
or
inappropriate
for
children.
A
partial
list
of
such
search
engines
includes:
Yahooligans
www.yahooligans.com
Ask
Jeeves
Kids
www.ajkids.com
A
complete
directory
of
family-friendly
search
engines
can
be
found
at
http://searchenginewatch.com/links/Kids_Search_Engines/
