• Computers belong in common areas, not bedrooms.
• Educate yourself on setting appropriate filters for explicit images/language for your computer.
• Explain the dangers of sharing personal information – full name, email, phone, and address. “Checking in” at specific locations on social media, tells people exactly where they are at that moment. You may want to consider leaving your child’s last name off their social media accounts so they cannot be easily identified by a potential predator.
• Whatever age is comfortable for you to allow your child to use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, do so, but also sign up so that you can follow your child to see what videos they’re posting. Make sure their privacy settings are set so that only friends can view their page. Tell them not to accept friend requests or respond to messages of people they do not know. Create a fake name and send them a friend request to test them if you feel it’s appropriate.
• If your child plays games through the Internet (even through game stations) talk about the “chat” options and how strangers may try to contact them. Remind them that not everyone is who they say they are.
• Computer and phone time should be limited and they shouldn’t be on it all hours of the night.
• Parents should be tracking what sites their children are visiting.
• For yourself and for your children, be very cautious what photos/videos you share over the Internet. Even images that may seem innocent! Pages run by pedophiles will share images of children in shorts, bathing suits, sitting on the toilet, in the tub. What may be cute pictures of your beautiful children are basically “teasers” for pedophile rings.
• Talk to your teens & pre-teens about people asking for them to share a “sexy” photo of him/herself. You’d be surprised how many children aren’t scared by the fact that a strange man is asking for this, and by flattering the child on their looks will convince them to take more photos of more risqué poses.

 _{Sections on this page have been adapted from TheMamaBearEffect}