Sexual Predators and the Computer
Minimize the chances of an online exploiter victimizing your child:
- Communicate and talk to your child about sexual victimization and potential online danger.
- Spend time with your children online.
- Keep the computer in a common room in the house, not in your child's bedroom.
- Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider and/ or blocking software. While electronic chat can be a great place for children to make new friends and discuss various topics of interest, it is also prowled by computer-sex offenders.
- Always maintain access to your child's online account and randomly check his or her e-mail.
- Teach your child the responsible use of online resources.
- Find out what computer safeguards are utilize by your child's school, the public library and at the homes of your child's friend.
- Understand, even if your child was a willing participant in any form of sexual exploitation, that he or she is not at fault and is the victim.
Instruct your children:
- To never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met online.
- To never upload (post) pictures of themselves onto the Internet or online service to people they do not personally know.
- To never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name or telephone number.
- To never download pictures from an unknown source.
- To never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent or harassing.
- That whatever they are told online may or may not be true.