To keep children safe online a parent must protect them from the harmful information that is accessible via the Internet. With Internet being such a large part of peoples lives it would be difficult to eliminate all Internet use. Many teachers even require their students to access specific websites to complete homework. For older children social networking sites have in many ways replaced traditional communication channels. With the integration of the Internet into our children’s live is crucial that steps are taken to protect them.

To protect your children online parents must do more than install a content filter. A parent must create a plan that includes all Internet capable devices. Check you home for devices that connect to the Internet. These include; computers, digital music players, and game consoles. The only way to create a plan that is effective is to include all of these devices.

Once you have found all the Internet devices do a search of their drives for any content deemed inappropriate. Searching for photo file types, and checking the browser history can accomplish this. If any inappropriate material is found there may be a potential risk or safety issue involving your child.

A big part of keeping children safe is to take control of their online activities. The first step is to create your own administrative passwords. With an administrative password you can control the amount of access others have on the device. For example, you could require this password for any downloads, or block the use of the Internet unless the administrative password was keyed in. If you do not give the password to your child they will have to seek your assistance whenever accessing the Internet or downloading a file.

Filtering software is another tool that can keep your children protected online. This type of software will block any content that it deems as inappropriate. Most have setting for what you would like blocked and give recommendations based on the age of the children. The Windows operating system has a built in parental control that is fairly effective. There are other options for those on non Windows operating systems. Though content filtering software won’t unto itself keep your children safe online it does deliver a level of protection.

Parents should refrain from allowing children access to view the various social networking sites. Younger children especially should not be given permission to set up their own social networking account. Online predators are notorious for using these sites to gain access to children. What age you allow your child to have an account is up to the parent, but most experts agree that elementary and middle school children should not be provided access.

Keeping children safe online should be a priority for any parent. The online world continues to grow and be integrated into everyone’s lives. With this growth there are new dangers and the increased responsibility for parents to protect their children. To be effective a parent must be proactive in their approach to Internet safety.