Internet Safety Guidelines to Go Over with Kids

-Place computers in open areas of the home. Never put one in your child's bedroom.

-Go over what personal information should never be posted online. Never share full name, social security number, address, location, email address, school name, phone number, date of birth, or real age.

-Ask children to only use gender-neutral screen names like Rocker41.

-On social networking sites, make sure they know only to talk to people they know in real life, restrict access to their profiles, and make use of available privacy settings.

-Never accept unsolicited email, files, photographs, videos or attachments from online strangers.

-Parents should Google their children to see if there are any negative references posted on the Internet.

-Understand the social networking sites children use by registering for your own account on MySpace, Facebook, Bebo etc.

-Tell kids to never share their passwords with anyone, not even friends.

-Ensure kids understand that what is published or said online today, may come back to haunt you in the future.

-Tell kids to not say things online that they would never say in person. Let them know Internet activities can be traced, located, and punished.

-Tell kids never to fill out questionnaires or surveys unless approved by parents.

-Let kids know that if they are being harassed online, it is imperative to notify their parents.

-Tell kids to notify a trusted adult if there is something online that makes them feel scared or uncomfortable.

-Keep the lines of communication open. If you're a parent, know what's going on in your child's social life.

-Insist that your school include an Internet Safety curriculum.

-Insist that your school has anti-cyberbullying regulations in place.