Safety Steps and Rules for Online Safety for Parents to Protect their Children

1. Install an Internet filter (see our Internet filtering reviews and recommendations). If the software allows for different settings for each user, we recommend blocking all chat rooms for children under 16. We also strongly recommend blocking file sharing programs like Kazaa, Limewire, and BearShare completely.

2. Place computer in the family room or another open area of your home such that the screen is easily visible when passing by.

3. Publish Family Pledge; post it by all computers. Review it with each child and have them sign it. (Download Family Safety Pledge Sample)

4. Know what your children are doing by:
   
   a) Reviewing Internet browsing history. For most Web browsers, you can assess this by holding down Ctrl and pressing “H” at the same time or clicking on the History button on the web that looks like this: . Also, most Internet filters have a feature that lets you know what sites have been visited, and cannot be erased by tech-savvy children like History in Web browsers.
   
   b) Checking the “recent documents” for files transferred or accessed on disks.
   
   c) Surfing together especially with younger children to learn how they use the web. Get to know the sites they enjoy and how they interact online.
   
   d) Changing your child's homepage (Instructions for changing homepage).

5. Educate yourself around issues of online safety. Read Safe Families’ Internet Safety Manual, view our Internet Safety Course for Parents (coming soon) and keep up-to-date on news and other resources on the TechMission Safe Families website at http://www.safefamilies.org.

6. Lead by example. Your children are watching you. We recommend that adults consider signing a Media Sobriety Covenant for Adults. Many kids' first pornography exposure is their parents' material. Just as second hand cigarette smoke is harmful to those exposed, your media choices can effect your children. It is your responsibility to keep them from being exposed to pornographic or sexually provocative material. This includes:

   - Television and radio
   - Internet use
   - Magazines and books
   - Videos
   - Cell phone graphics

   Guidelines on Social Networks (MySpace, etc.)