It is so hard for parents when they hear that a child has been abducted, or worse, by someone they met online.  Keeping your children safe online is something that parents must be concerned about.  Here are some tips to help you accomplish that.

1.  Keep the lines of communication open.  Talk to your children about the perceived and unperceived dangers of being online.  Make sure they understand that not everyone plays by the rules.  Even if a chat room is set up for children only, that doesn’t keep adults from entering the room and posing like kids to see who their next victim will be.

2.  Together as a family, set computer usage rules in place.  Determine how long your children can be online, where they can go, and who they can talk to.  If they deviate from these rules, ban them from using it for a while.  That might be enough to get their attention and keep them from straying from them in the future.

3.  Check the browser history on the computer and see which websites they have been visiting.  A child-friendly browser can actually block sites that you deem to be inappropriate.  Use those parental controls to help keep your children safe online.

4.  Keep the computer in a common area.  If you can’t physically sit next to your child while they’re on the computer, the easiest way to monitor what your child does and who you child talks to online is to set the computer they use in an area where you can see it.

5.  Make sure you have access to any email account they have.  This way you can check their email for anything inappropriate.  Don’t be afraid to monitor email or instant messages they may receive, doing so may just save your child’s life.

6.  If your child has access to an instant message system, check out their buddy list.  Know who they are talking to and block anyone that doesn’t meet your standards.

7.  Keep children out of chat rooms and social networking websites.  These are wildly popular, but they can also be dangerous places for your child to visit.

8.  Make sure they understand they are not allowed to give ANY personal information out online.  They specifically should not tell anyone their real name, age, birthday, address, or telephone number.

Besides the possible dangers of pedophiles or cyber-bullies tracking down your children, there are other dangers online. Pop-up advertising isn’t always rated PG.  In fact, quite a bit of it can be considered risqué.  Add to that the possibility of accidentally landing on a pornographic website, and your child may be scarred for life.

You, as parents, need to be vigilant in keeping your children safe online.  Take every precaution you think is necessary to ensure their safety.  You have the right, and authority, to check up on their online activities.  They may not like it, but at least you’ll know they’re safe.