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Internet Safety 101: Helpful Parents Guides

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Protecting Children from Internet Predators

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Protecting Children from Internet Predators

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The internet provides many benefits but many dangers for children who by going on-line have access to a world that now has access to them. Protecting children from internet predators is a focus of the D.A.R.E. program.

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The internet provides many benefits but many dangers for children who by going on-line have access to a world that now has access to them. Protecting children from internet predators is a focus of the D.A.R.E. program.

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10 min read

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How much is your state doing to keep kids safe online?

To grade each state, SafeWise looked at laws for both sexting and cyberbullying.5,6 Points were assigned to states based on the types of laws currently on the books and the consequences for violating those laws. If a state has a law proposed, partial points were granted. School policies and consequences were also factors. Letter grades were determined based on the total points, with higher points earning higher grades.

State-by-state online safety laws

Related articles on SafeWise

1. Justin Patchin, Cyberbullying Research Center, "2019 Cyberbullying Data," July 2019. Accessed April 11, 2023.

2. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, "The Online Enticement of Children: An In-Depth Analysis of CyberTipline Reports," 2017. Accessed April 11, 2023.

3. Haley Zapal, Bark, "2018 Children and Teen Cyber Fact Sheet," January 2019. Accessed April 11, 2023.

4. Kate Muir and Adam Joinson, Frontiers in Psychology, "An Exploratory Study Into the Negotiation of Cyber-Security Within the Family Home," March 2020. Accessed April 11, 2023.

5. Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin, Cyberbullying Research Center, "State Sexting Laws," November 2018. Accessed April 11, 2023.

6. Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin, Cyberbullying Research Center, "State Cyberbullying Laws," January 2021. Accessed April 11, 2023.

Rebecca is the lead safety reporter and in-house expert for SafeWise.com. She has been a journalist and blogger for over 25 years, with a focus on home and community safety for the past decade. Rebecca spends dozens of hours every month poring over crime and safety reports and spotting trends. Her expertise is sought after by publications, broadcast journalists, non-profit organizations, podcasts, and more. You can find her expert advice and analysis in places like NPR, TechCrunch, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, HGTV, MSN, Reader's Digest, Real Simple, and an ever-growing library of podcast, radio and TV clips in the US and abroad.

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Internet Safety Guide for Kids | SafeWise

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SafeWise is committed to keeping kids safe online. Find safety tips for kids, internet safety facts, and the top online threats to kids in our internet safety guide.

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As the summer days are dwindling and parents and kids are preparing for back to school, it's also time to think about internet safety. Nowadays, students spend plenty of time on computers and tablets at school, and most have access to unrestricted internet for research. It's important for kids to be computer savvy, but it also means they have access to the outside world. Now is the time for parents to set guidelines for their kids and become educated on how to keep children safe online.

Here is a list we put together to help parents get ready for back to school and internet safety.
Nine Back to School Online Safety Tips
1. Only use tablets or devices in common areas at home. We advise parents to keep all devices connected to the internet out of bedrooms. A family room, kitchen, or other common areas are a great place to set up a computer station for family use.

2. Use the privacy settings to keep your child's account private. Each social media channel has different settings, so adjust each to make sure your kids are not sharing personal images and information with strangers.Go back and check the settings once a month to be sure nothing has changed. Set a calendar reminder, it's that important!

3. Pause before you post. Remember, yours and your child's digital footprint lives forever. And don't just limit that to photos of yourself. Don't post pictures of your children that they might find embarrassing. Ask yourself the following questions before you share anything online:

Why am I sharing this?

Would I want someone else to share an image like this of me?

Is this something I want to be part of my digital life?

Tell your kids if they wouldn't want it in the newspaper or online then don't post it or send it either! This goes both ways.

4. Remind teens to only friend people you know IRL (in real life), even if you have multiple mutual friends. The same goes for private or direct messages (DM). They should not respond to anyone that they don't know.

5. Don't share sensitive information about yourself or your family online. - No last name, no school name or even the city or town that you live in. GPS and location services can pinpoint exactly where you are, alerting predators. Posting that you are home alone or even out of town with family shows predators that you or your possessions are in a vulnerable position.

6. Tell children not to give their password to anyone but their parents or primary caregiver. And as their guardians, you do have the right to check their social media, texts and other apps when you want.

7. Kids should choose usernames and passwords that don't give out personal information. This is something that even adults don't do, but since usernames tend to stick around for life, it makes sense to put it into practice at a young age. A child should never use their first and last name in their handles, this makes it easier for predators to locate them.

8. Children should never agree to see someone in person that they "met" online.

9. If your child sees any type of mean texts or cyberbullying, tell them to not respond or participate. Tell an adult immediately.

For more information on Child Rescue Coalition and how to keep kids safe online, visit www.childrescuecoalition.org. And read more posts like this on our education page!
Don't forget you can like us on Facebook and Instagram for more helpful online safety tips!

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9 Back to School - Back to Online Safety Tips - Child Rescue Coalition

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As the summer days are dwindling and parents and kids are preparing for back to school, it's also time to think about internet safety. Nowadays, students spend plenty of time on computers and tablets at school, and most have access to unrestricted internet for research.

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These rules are aimed mostly at younger children, at oldest pre-teens. Appropriate "rules" for online use vary by age, maturity of the child and family values (updated June, 2013)
1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number without my parents' permission.

2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across something that makes me feel uncomfortable.

3. I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring a parent along.

4. I will talk with my parents about posting pictures of myself or others online and not post any pictures that my parents consider to be inappropriate.

5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away.

6. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online and using a mobile phone. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

7. I will not give out my passwords to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.

8. I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or mobile device or jeopardize my family's privacy.

9. I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

10. I will help my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology.
Also see Family Contract for Online Safety For an overview, read Child Safety on the Information Highway (20th anniversary edition)

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These rules are aimed mostly at younger children, at oldest pre-teens. Appropriate "rules" for online use vary by age, maturity of the child and family values (updated June, 2013) 1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number without my parents' permission.

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Being Safe on the Internet for Kids and Teens (video)

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Being Safe on the Internet for Kids and Teens (video)

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Safe Web Surfing: Top Tips for Kids and Teens Online

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Super BOOMi | Internet Safety Tips for Kids

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Online Privacy for Kids - Internet Safety and Security for Kids

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11 Ways to Teach Internet Safety (for Parents)

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11 Ways to Teach Internet Safety (for Parents)

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NordVPN gives advice for parents and teachers to educate kids on internet safety and cybersecurity.

Going back to school is an exciting time of the year, but it also means children will be using the Internet on a regular basis at school and at home to complete school assignments. That means teaching children internet safety and giving students cybersecurity tips is especially important at this time of year.

Children's' lack of basic knowledge about online privacy and security can very easily lead to identity theft, downloads of malicious files, exploitation and so on. Another danger is cyber thieves, who see easy targets in children. Cyber criminals, for example, can combine a child's Social Security Number with a fake date of birth and address to open bank accounts, get credit cards or loans.

Please take a look at some tips & tricks parents and teachers can implement to teach children about Internet safety and cybersecurity.

1. Lay out some ground rules. Whether a child is a teenager or an elementary school student, you need to give them a few basic guidelines. For example, you can start by telling them that anything shared once on the Internet stays there forever and that nothing is 100 percent private.

2. Tell them to check with you. First, tell children what "personal information" means. Draw up a list for them and tell them clearly that they should always consult with you before sharing certain details with any website or person on the Internet.

3. Password protection and usage. These days, children start creating their own email accounts at a young age. Although email websites instruct users to choose strong passwords, advise children on what kind of passwords to choose. Tell them that the password could be a mix of characters and special symbols and ask them never to share their passwords with anyone, perhaps even with you. Diceware, for instance, is an easy-to-use password methodology, where you roll a six-sided die five times and use the results to pick five random words from the list.

4. Curb social media usage. Children spend a lot of time on social media, so it's important to let them know what is OK to share and what isn't. Have a talk with your child and discuss the things they should not share on social media, and remind them that everything stays on the Internet forever. If you want to take an extra step in securing your child's online privacy, create fake social media names a and fake school/ city name for them.

5. IM and texting. Sending messages on IM clients like Messenger or WhatsApp is something every teenager does, but they don't always know that their chats are not 100 percent private. Therefore, you should advise them never to share personal data, banking details or other sensitive information like passwords via messages.

6. Share news of personal hacks with them. If a child is old enough to understand this, share the latest news about identity theft or personal hacks with them to make them aware of the dangers they face while using the Internet.

7. Explain the dangers of free public Wi-Fi. Kids love free Wi-Fi - who doesn't? Cafes, shops, and even school cafeterias might have unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Explain to your kids to be especially cautious when connecting to these networks - as they can easily be monitored. One of the best ways to safely use public Wi-Fi is by installing a VPN. You can pre-install a VPN on a mobile device and teach kids to turn it on whenever using public Wi-Fi.

8. Use a VPN. For ultimate protection, install a VPN service on the device they use to encrypt their online communication data. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, creates a connection tunnel that automatically encrypts all the data coming in and out of your device and effectively protects anyone using the Internet. NordVPN is one of the VPNs on the market. All you have to do is press the ON button - and you are connected. NordVPN works on up to 6 devices, and now also has Mac and Android apps.

9. Warn them of game scams. Agree to install games together with your kids. Research to see if the game and the provider are reputable. Make sure you download the games only from a reputable source after reading some reviews. Too often fake games are uploaded online, which are made to pop with color on websites, prompting kids to install them for free, when in fact it's malware that could infect your device.

10. Communication with strangers. The Internet is as social as ever. New chat rooms (often within video games) and forums uniting different interest groups are popping up every day. As kids are eager to discuss their interests with peers, it is important to speak to them about sharing one's private information. Under no circumstances should they share any pictures, addresses, etc.

11. Email deals are fake! All that sparkles is not gold. If your kids receive an email about a great offer like a free cell phone or concert tickets - it's a trick designed to get one to give up personal information. Again, advise your kids to always show you such emails and never respond to them.

Kids these days are more tech-savvy than their parents and teachers when they were that age - but at the same time, they will be exposed to online identity thefts, hackings, exploitation and snooping if they are not taught basic Internet safety rules from an early age. Teaching kids internet safety is everyone's responsibility!
NordVPN is the world's most advanced VPN service provider. It offers double VPN encryption, anti-DDoS & Onion Over VPN. The product is very user- friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 1,000 servers worldwide and supports P2P. One of the key features of NordVPN is zero log policy. nordvpn.com

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Back to School: 11 Ways to Teach Children Internet Safety Best Practices - Campus Safety Magazine

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NordVPN gives advice for parents and teachers to educate kids on internet safety and cybersecurity. Going back to school is an exciting time of the year, but it also means children will be using the Internet on a regular basis at school and at home to complete school assignments.

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Lesson 1: Teaching Kids About Internet Safety

Teaching kids about Internet safety

The Internet can be a wonderful place to learn, shop, play games, and talk to your friends. Unfortunately, there are also predators, identity thieves, and others online who may try to harm you. In order to be safe online, it's important for you and your kids to be aware of the dangers.

Many kids are confident that they know how to be safe online. However, there are a few reasons kids are often more at risk. They may not always think about the consequences of their actions, which can cause them to share too much information about themselves. Kids also are sometimes specifically targeted by cyberbullies or predators.

If you're a parent or guardian, you can help to keep your kids safe by talking to them about their Internet use, teaching them about online dangers, and learning everything you can about the Internet so you can make informed decisions.

About this tutorial

This tutorial is designed for any parent or guardian who wants to learn how to keep their kids safe online. You may want to review our Internet Safety tutorial first so you'll have a basic understanding of online safety. Throughout this tutorial, we'll link to other resources you can use if you want more information. We'll also link to some activities, videos, and other resources that are geared toward kids and teens. You may want to show these resources to your kids or even work through them together.

If you want to learn the basics of using the Internet, you can also check out our Internet Basics, Email 101, and Beyond Email tutorials.

Understanding online dangers

In order to keep your kids safe, you'll need to know about the different types of online dangers that exist. For example, kids and teens may find inappropriate content on the Internet, such as pornography or obscene language. There is also a possibility of cyberbullying or cyberharassment from others online. This does not mean your child will encounter all of these threats. However, knowing about the dangers can help you and your kids make smart decisions online.

Review the interactive below to learn about some of the dangers kids can encounter online.

Other types of dangers

Whenever someone uses a computer, there is a risk of eye strain, wrist strain, and other injuries. You can help prevent this by limiting the amount of time your kids spend on computers and mobile devices. For tips on avoiding injury, read Creating a Safe Workspace in our Computer Basics tutorial.

There's also another reason to limit your kids' Internet use: Because people are spending more and more time online, Internet addiction is becoming a more significant problem. Internet use can be a good thing, but if it becomes an addiction it can affect a person's offline life.

Places where dangers can occur

It's important for kids to be careful whenever they're connected to the Internet because online dangers are not just limited to bad websites. Chat rooms, computer games, and even social networking sites can be risky. If your kids have mobile phones, they'll also need to be careful when texting or when accessing the Internet on their phones.

Review the slideshow below to learn about some of the places online where kids can be at risk.

Guidelines for keeping your kids safe

It can be difficult to keep your kids completely safe online. Even if you set up parental controls on your home computer, your kids will use many other computers that don't have parental controls. To keep your kids safe, you'll need to teach them to make good decisions online-even when you're not around.

Below are some general tips you can use when teaching your kids about online safety:

Learn everything you can about the Internet. Being familiar with the Internet will not only help you understand the risks, but it will also help you talk to your kids.

Set standards for what your kids can and cannot do online. It's important to make rules for your kids so they know what's expected of them. Don't wait until something bad happens to start creating guidelines.

Teach your kids to keep personal information private. It's usually a bad idea to post personal information online such as phone numbers, addresses, and credit cards. If criminals gain access to this information, they can use it to harm you or your family.

Teach your kids to use social networking sites safely. Sites like Facebook allow kids-and adults-to share photos and videos of themselves, as well as have conversations with friends and strangers. If your kids share something with friends, it's still possible for it to get into the wrong hands. Generally, they should only post something online if they're comfortable with everyone in the world seeing it.

Encourage your kids to come to you if they encounter a problem. If your child gets into trouble online, you'll want him or her to come to you instead of hiding it. Keep in mind that your kids could accidentally encounter a bad site, even if they're doing everything right.

Talk to your kids about Internet use. Talk to your kids regularly about how they use the Internet. If they're in the habit of talking to you about the Internet, they'll be more willing to come to you if there's a problem.

The Federal Trade Commission has videos and other resources you may find helpful. Watch the following video to learn more about talking to your kids about Internet safety.

Minimizing risks at home

If you have a home computer your kids use, there are some extra precautions you can take to make it safer. Remember that your kids will probably use many other computers, and these precautions won't keep them safe when they're not at home. Also, keep in mind that these are merely suggestions; depending on your parenting style and your kids' ages, you may choose not to use all of them.

Keep the computer in the living room or in another common area. By putting the computer in a common area of the house, you can reduce the chance that they'll talk to strangers or visit inappropriate websites. For teens, you may choose to give them more freedom about where they use the computer (especially if they have their own computers).

Install antivirus software. Viruses and other malware are a risk for any computer (although Macs are slightly safer). To protect your computer, you can install antivirus software such as BitDefender or Norton.

Use a kid-friendly search engine. Regular search engines may return results with inappropriate content you don't want your kids to see. However, there are some search engines that are designed to only return kid-friendly results (although there is still the possibility of inappropriate results getting through). Examples include KidTopia and KidRex.org.

Use parental controls. Windows and Mac OS X allow you to add parental controls to user accounts. These include time limits, website restrictions, and controlling which applications can be opened. You can also buy parental control software like Net Nanny, which has versions for Windows and Mac.

Creating an Internet safety contract

Once you've established Internet guidelines, you may want to put them in writing. You can create an Internet safety contract your kids can sign, and then you can keep a copy of it near the computer.

There are also premade contracts you can download and print. One example is the Family Online Safety Contract, which you can download from the Family Online Safety Institute. In addition to a contract, it includes a contract for parents, which contains guidelines you may find helpful.

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Internet Safety for Kids: Teaching Kids About Internet Safety

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In this Internet Safety for Kids lesson, learn the Internet safety tips available to keep your kids safe online.

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Age-Based Guidelines for Kids (for Parents)

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Age-Based Guidelines for Kids (for Parents)

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Basic guidelines for internet uses for students.

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Key principles for all age groups include:

Keep lines of communication open

Create a list of Internet rules with your kids (See Rules 'N Tools® Youth Pledge )

Set parental controls at the age-appropriate levels and use filtering and monitoring tools as a complement--not a replacement--for parental supervision.

Supervise all Internet-enabled devices and keep computers in a public area of the home.

Talk to your kids about healthy sexuality in the event they encounter sexually explicit online pornography at home, school, a friend's house, the library or their mobile device.

Encourage your kids to come to you if they encounter anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. (Stay calm and don't blame your child; otherwise, they won't turn to you in the future for help when they need it.)

Teach them not to interact with people they don't know offline, because an online predator or cyberbully can disguise him/herself.

Check the history file on your computer to see which sites your child has accessed.

Teach your child the golden rule: do unto others as they would have done unto themselves.

Specific Guidelines by Age Groups
Two- to Seven-Year-Olds Eight- to Ten-Year-Olds Eleven- to Thirteen-Year-Olds Fourteen- Eighteen-Year-Olds

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Internet Safety 101: Age-Based Guidelines

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Internet Safety 101, is an initiative of Enough Is Enough, a 501c(3) whose mission is to make the Internet Safer for Children and Families.

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Using the internet can be a great tool for students, but it comes with many dangers.

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The Internet can be wonderful for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games.

But online access also comes with risks, like inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. Using social media apps and websites where kids interact, predators may pose as a child or teen looking to make a new friend. They might prod the child to exchange personal information, such as address and phone number, or encourage kids to call them, seeing their phone number via caller ID.

Parents should be aware of what their kids see and hear online, who they meet, and what they share about themselves. Talk with your kids, use tools to protect them, and keep an eye on their activities.

Internet Safety Laws

A federal law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) helps protect kids younger than 13 when they're online. It's designed to keep anyone from getting a child's personal information without a parent knowing about it and agreeing to it first.

COPPA requires websites to explain their privacy policies and get parental consent before collecting or using a child's personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or Social Security number. The law also prohibits a site from requiring a child to provide more personal information than necessary to play a game or enter a contest.

Online Protection Tools

Online tools let you control your kids' access to adult material and help protect them from Internet predators. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) provide parent-control options. You can also get software that helps block access to sites and restricts personal information from being sent online. Other programs can monitor and track online activity.

Getting Involved in Kids' Online Activities

More important than blocking objectionable material is teaching your kids safe and responsible online behavior, and keeping an eye on their Internet use.

Basic guidelines to share with your kids for safe online use:

Follow the family rules, and those set by the Internet service provider.

Never post or trade personal pictures.

Never reveal personal information, such as address, phone number, or school name or location.

Use only a screen name and don't share passwords (other than with parents).

Never agree to get together in person with anyone met online without parent approval and/or supervision.

Never respond to a threatening email, message, post, or text.

Always tell a parent or other trusted adult about any communication or conversation that was scary or hurtful.

Basic guidelines for parental supervision:

Spend time online together to teach your kids appropriate online behavior.

Keep the computer in a common area where you can watch and monitor its use, not in individual bedrooms. Monitor any time spent on smartphones or tablets.

Bookmark kids' favorite sites for easy access.

Check your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.

Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child's school, after-school center, friends' homes, or any place where kids could use a computer without your supervision.

Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange.

If you're aware of the sending, use, or viewing of child pornography online, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) 843-5678 or go online to their CyberTipline. They'll make sure the info is forwarded to law enforcement officials for investigation. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child pornography via the Internet.

Watch for warning signs of a child being targeted by an online predator. These can include:

spending long hours online, especially at night

phone calls from people you don't know

unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail

your child suddenly turning off the computer or other device when you walk into the room

withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities

Talk to your kids! Keep an open line of communication and make sure that they feel comfortable turning to you when they have problems online.

The Internet and Teens

As kids get older, it gets a little trickier to monitor their time spent online. They may carry a smartphone with them at all times. They probably want - and need - some privacy. This is healthy and normal, as they're becoming more independent from their parents. The Internet can provide a safe "virtual" environment for exploring some newfound freedom if precautions are taken.

Talk about the sites and apps teens use and their online experiences. Discuss the dangers of interacting with strangers online and remind them that people online don't always tell the truth. Explain that passwords are there to protect against things like identity theft. They should never share them with anyone, even a boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend.

Taking an active role in your kids' online activities helps ensure that they benefit from them without being exposed to the potential dangers.

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The Internet is a wonderful resource, but access to it has its hazards for kids. Here's how to make sure your kids go online safely.