·         Never give out identifying information– home address, school name, or telephone number– in a public message such as chat or bulletin boards, and be sure you’re dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving it out via E-mail.  Consider not listing your child’s name if your service allows it.

·         Get to know the services your child uses. If you don’t know how to log on, get your child to show you. Find out what types of information it offers and whether there are ways for parents to block out objectionable material.

·         Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer user without parental permission.

·         Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounters such messages. If you or your child receives a message that is harassing, or threatening, forward a copy of the message to your service provider and ask for their assistance.

·         Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can’t see or even hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him- or herself. Thus, someone indicating that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could in reality be a 40-year-old man.

·         Remember that everything you read online may not be true. Any offer that’s “too good to be true” probably is.

·         Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children (see “Kids Rules for Online Safety“). Discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor their compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your children spend on the computer.

·         Be sure to make this a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child’s bedroom. Get to know their “online friends” just as you get to know all of their other friends.