Child Safety Online: What Every Parent Should Know

  • 7 February 2012
  • 8 replies
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Userlevel 5
  • Retired Webrooter
  • 58 replies
Apart from grounding your kids or having the awkward “we need to talk” talk, there are some serious risks for kids who are connected all the time. The truth is, even if parents trust that their kids are making the right decisions online, threats such as online predators, inappropriate content, and cyberbullies are real.
 
The Internet safety for children advocacy group, ikeepsafe.org, brings to light three main risks associated with all connected technology: Inappropriate Contact, Content, and Conduct (the 3 C’s).
 
Inappropriate contact occurs when strangers or predators online reach out to kids to establish new relationships or to engage in regular communication. “The Internet is a place to enhance existing relationships, not a place to meet new people,” warns the organization.
 
And it happens more than we would like to think. A recent study done by GFI software found that “nearly one third (29%) of teens have been contacted online by a stranger, and 23% of those say have responded in some way.” With these numbers in mind, it’s important that kids understand the risks associated with giving out personal information to people they don’t know.
 
ikeepsafe.org also recognizes that inappropriate content—or “content that is viewed and content that is uploaded by kids”—is another legitimate concern for parents.  
 
A report by Common Sense Media found that “79% of teens think their friends share too much personal information online,” and that’s exactly the type of information that can make an impact down the road. The takeaway here is this: if kids are cognizant of the threat, it’s probably worth addressing as a parent.
 
And how about the way kids are treated online by peers—do parents really know? It’s been pointed out that kids can encounter inappropriate contact and inappropriate content online, but the child advocacy group also uproots the notion of inappropriate conduct.
 
Parents may never know if, for example, their kids are victims of cyberbullies, predators online, or even bullies themselves. And the threats are very real: cyberbullying has been linked to depression or anger; conversations with predators have lead to actual encounters; a seemingly harmless social media rant about a teacher or a fellow student can have serious effects on a child’s future.
 
Here are some staggering statistics on teen Internet use (via redorbit.com):
 
  • 15% of all teenage girls surveyed have been bullied online or via text message
  • 31% of teens admit to saying something to someone online that they would not have said face-to-face
  • 31% of teenage boys admit to visiting a website intended for adults
  • 53% of all teenagers have lied about their age to gain access to adult sites
  • 34% of teens say they have created online accounts that their parents do not know about
 
The Internet can give kids the sense of invincibility (or anxiety depending on how you look at it), and the numbers above support that idea. So the project for parents then becomes a) helping kids understand that their personal information and digital footprint are worth protecting, and b) making sure the virtualization of the Internet does not confuse the seriousness of real world consequences.
 
Cyber safety for kids doesn't have to be a difficult task. The tools above suggest that basic methods in monitoring and education (the 3 C’s) can make a world of difference. The “playing with apps at the dinner table instead of eating” situation, well, that one might take a little more work.
 
Please visit the following sites for more information:
 
  • ikeepsafe.org
  • cyberbullying.us
  • isafe.org
  • internetsafetyforkids.org
  • antiphishing.org
  • pewinternet.org

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8 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +13
Excellent post.Hopefully every parent in the forum will take a time to read this post.
Userlevel 5
Thanks for the feedback, superssjdan. Keep us posted if there's anything you'd like to add, or if you'd like to see us focus on an area that interests you. Cheers, and thanks for your presence on the community.
Userlevel 7
Wow! Excellent post AlexF. Times have sure changed since I was a kid, but when I was a kid they didn't have personal computers. Thanks for the websites for info.
Userlevel 5
Thanks, ProTruckDriver. I agree. Times are so much different now. Techology is an engrained part of culture for kids, which presents a pretty unique problem for teens an parents alike. I appreciate the feedback.
Userlevel 2
Great piece of information you put together here Alex. It's a shame that as we as a society feel that we have advanced so far over the generations, only to step back and look objectively at ourselves for a minute and see that we are still dealing with the same types of criminal elements and other harmful people that every generation before us did. The only difference is the way that they use to come in contact with their victims.Children who come in from school and are alone several hours or even longer each day are very vulnerable. That's not to blame the parents either,in these hard economic times anyone in a household that is able to earn wages is out trying to work. We all have to be each others eyes and ears on topics such as you have written about today and try to stop them every opportunity we can. The internet is here to stay but without each person who uses it making an effort to keep it safe for all, we will see more and more government efforts to control what we can and cannot do on the internet.
Userlevel 5
Great thoughts, Taco_man1. Well said. Thanks for the feedback on this issue. Please let us know if there are any other issues that you'd like for us to focus on. Cheers!
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
Great info Alex for any family even though I don't have any children but a Wife and 3 Chihuahuas so I need some Taco's now! :D
 
TH
Userlevel 5
Thanks a lot for the feedback, TripleHelix. I hope your Chihuahuas give this article a read, too; there's a lot to learn about leaving a digital footprint (err, paw print) on the Web. Cheers!