Cheli Cerra in the Press & Media
Is Your Child into CyberNetworking? 5 Tips to Keep Them Safe.
By Cheli Cerra, M. Ed.
Dec 8, 2006, 21:56

The MySpace generation ... the newest way to socialize within the confines of your home, write, post pictures, tell all...

The next time you glance over at your child working on a computer look a little closer look over their shoulder, stand behind them, ask questions and make sure your child is predator safe. 

According to a 2006 report from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ONE IN SEVEN children ages 10 to 17 have received a sexual solicitation or an approach over the Internet. Sounds scary  but the statistic is true. Over 60 million users are on MySpace, one of THE most popular and the largest social networking site on the Internet.

MySpace.com has recently partnered with an online identity and background verification company to keep predators away from this very popular site. Another safety feature that they are putting in is having staff check profiles against convicted predators and offenders on a 24/7 basis.    

Is your child a cyber socializer? The following tips will hopefully help you keep your child safe.

Tip 1 
Keep the computer in an open area. By having the computer in the living room or other open area you will be able to easily monitor cyber activity. Keeping a watchful eye will keep your child in check and give you the opportunity to intervene if danger comes around the corner.

Tip 2 
Warn your child of the dangers of the cyber world. Set boundaries of where to go on the internet, how long and which sites are allowed to be visited. If your child has a MySpace account make sure that no personal information is posted. Know who your child’s friends are online and in those social chat rooms and cyber spaces. Monitor and keep a watchful eye. The goal is not to scare your child but to make your child cyber safe.

Tip 3
Talk to your children and listen to what they have to say make sure you teach them to report any suspicious behavior or activity immediately.

Tip 4 
Make sure you know what is going on in the day to day events of their lives and teach them to NEVER arrange for a face to face meeting with someone they meet online.

Tip 5
Always be involved  go online together, research a topic, or create a family BLOG together.

The Internet is a tremendous educational resource for our kids. Parents need to be aware of the potential dangers and keep their kids safe by having private companies and the government join in this effort it will help to better keep the internet safe and predator free for our children.