Communication is key in protecting children from online exploitation. Discuss Internet safety often with them and spend time online alongside your children and create an atmosphere of trust
Keep your child’s computer/laptop in an open area of your home. Monitor other points of Internet access including your child’s cell phone, portable music device, smart TV, gaming device and PDA
Pay attention to what your kids are doing online : Be familiar with each of your children’s passwords, screen names, and all account information, and have them provide the identities of every person on their buddy list or anyone they have “friended” on social networking or gaming sites
Remind your children that the people they meet online may not be who they say they are
Caution your children to only communicate online with people they know in-person and who have been approved by you and never share personal information/details with anyone online
Make sure you, as the parent, are added to your child’s “Friend list” on the social networking sites
Regularly conduct a simple online search through the site or by typing their name into a search engine (e.g., Google)
