The threat of online predators contacting your children is very real. Protection is a must, and should be practiced on a regular basis. There are several ways to increase security while your children are online.

Cyber watch programs are one option. These programs can detect and alert you when your child is engaging in any one of several risky behaviors online. These programs are often referred to as “cyber babysitters” as they can monitor the online activity of your children when you are away from home.

Young children should not be allowed to have social media accounts. Though this is a popular choice for teens, they should only be allowed to have an account under the condition that they openly “friend” you so that you can see what they are posting, and who is contacting them.

Though a teen may not like it, you may want to demand that they give you their password. This will allow you to monitor any private messages that are being sent and received.

Protecting your kids from online predators is a full time job. Most children now spend more time online than they do on any other activity. By using all of the tools at your disposal, you will have the peace of mind that comes from knowing what your children are doing while online.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 21st, 2011 at 12:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.