Internet safety

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• Benefits of the internet
• Dealing with internet safety concerns
• Internet safety tips
• Common concerns about children’s internet use

Benefits of the internet

Children can benefit from the internet because it:

• offers them more text-based information than other media, which can help improve reading and problem-solving skills.
• can make learning more fun, according to some studies
• allows them to use email, chat rooms and forums to communicate with friends (although face-to-face communication is also important for social development).

Dealing with internet safety concerns

You can help your children luse the internet safely by:

• monitoring their internet use
• protecting them from online threats
• teaching them how to use the internet effectively
• learning about the internet yourself.

Remember, learning to use the internet safely is like learning to cross the street. It takes time and careful guidance from trusted people like teachers and parents.

Monitor

• Talk with all family members about internet access. Monitoring works best if you can talk calmly and frankly with your child about internet activities.
• Keep the computer in a shared family area. If possible, avoid putting it in a study or bedroom. This allows you to keep tabs on how long your child is online as well as the websites your child is visiting.
• Together with your child, set up some simple and fair rules about internet use. For example, set a reasonable limit on the amount of screen time that your child is allowed. Discuss how these rules apply outside your home – for example, at a friend’s house or the local library. When your child follows the rules, remember to give lots of praise and encouragement.
• If you have older children, it’s a good idea to have a written internet use agreement with them. A written agreement signed by both of you helps make rules clear.
• Use the History button in your browser program. It will allow you to see the websites that your child visits.
• Find out if your child’s school has an internet policy and how internet safety is maintained there.

Protect

• Explain to your child that not all information on the internet is good, true or helpful. Explain also that some areas are for grown-ups only and not intended for children to see.
• Help your child identify unsuitable material by naming some things to look out for. For example, a site containing scary or rude pictures, swearing or angry words is probably not suitable.
• Use a family-friendly internet service provider (ISP) like Optus or Telstra BigPond. You can also suggest safe search engines like www.awesomelibrary.org to your children and bookmark them for later use.
• Empower your child to use the internet safely by showing your child safe sites and explaining why they are safe. It’s also important to educate your child on why it’s not safe to give out any personal details online.

Teach

• Focus on the positive aspects of the internet when you are guiding your child. Spend time looking together at sites that are fun, interesting or educational (and then bookmark them for later use). For example, you could help your child find information for homework.
• Encourage your child to question things on the internet. When looking at a new site, your child could ask things like ‘Who is in charge of this site?’, ‘Have I found information, or is it just opinion?’ or ‘Is this site trying to influence me or sell me something?’.
• Use an educational program or website specifically designed for your child’s age group. For example, Hector’s World is a website designed to teach children how to use the internet safely. While they play in Hector’s World, they learn important messages about internet safety in an interactive and safe environment.

Learn
If you’re not familiar with the internet, start by learning about it yourself. All you need is a basic understanding to help you supervise and guide your child. You can check out community resources such as your local library, neighbourhood house, TAFE or Council of Adult Education programs. Many of these will provide classes or further information.

Internet safety tips

Common concerns about children’s internet use

Access to inappropriate content
Children might be only one or two clicks away from violent, pornographic or offensive material (even accidentally), especially if there are no filters or monitor software installed on your computer. Some websites might contain advertisements for alcohol or cigarettes directed at children. These can be difficult to block, because they are usually images without text.

Also, some chat rooms can encourage inappropriate or harmful behaviour such as extreme dieting, underage sex or drug use.

Filter programs
Filtering programs are not completely effective. A resourceful child can sometimes find ways to get around these programs. Filters don’t screen what goes on in chat rooms. They can’t replace parental awareness and supervision.

Also, recent research tells us that ‘server-based’ filter programs (the kind your internet provider might run) are generally difficult to maintain. Their performance depends a lot on how they’re set up and fine tuned. It’s worth checking the features of such programs carefully. You might need to add on extra features or programs.

Paedophilia
Chat rooms and forums are lots of fun and great places to exchange ideas, but they can be risky. They allow people to interact anonymously, and age limits can’t be enforced. Also, children might be invited to meet up in the real world with people they meet online, which could lead to sexual or physical abuse.

The risk of stalking or child abuse over the internet can be avoided if you advise your children never to give personal information to or communicate one to one with people they do not know. Paedophiles have fewer opportunities to target children if personal information is not revealed.

Leaking of personal information
This is more of an issue for older children. It can occur by accident when children provide personal details on websites or to strangers they have met online. Risks include cyber bullying or identity fraud.

File-sharing programs
Online software that enables files to be swapped over the internet is a very attractive way for kids to share MP3 songs, videos and images for free. But sharing music and other files over the internet is against the law. Legal action has been brought against people for doing it.

These kinds of file-sharing programs, often called ‘peer-to-peer’ programs, also allow access to your computer by strangers who could introduce computer viruses or other harmful material.

Too much internet/computer use
Parents sometimes worry about their children using the internet too much. If a child is already shy or uncomfortable in social situations, that child might spend a lot of time online, withdrawing from family and friends. If most or all of a child’s interaction with friends is via computer – instant messaging, emails, chat rooms – this can affect the development of the child’s social skills.

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