However, there are some areas of the web that are not appropriate for kids, and there are some people on the web who would like to take advantage of unwary young surfers. Because NetSchools is committed to online safety, we offer this article as a resource to parents and teachers who are concerned about keeping kids and teens safe on the net. Establishing Ground Rules Making sure that young people are safe on the Internet is very similar to making sure that they're safe in the real world.
Communication is the most important tool in ensuring young people's safety on the net.
It's important for adults and kids to agree upon basic rules about Internet activity, such as when kids can be online, whether they can surf without an adult present, which search engines they can use, which sites are OK to look at alone, and which sites kids should get permission to visit. It's always best to surf the net with younger children, and it's important to keep an open dialogue with teenagers about the types of sites they're visiting. Just as kids would never tell to a stranger who walked up to them in the street where they live, it's important that they realize that identifying information like their name, home address, school name, picture, or phone number should not be given to anyone on the net without a parent's permission. Also, it's important to keep personal contact information out of online profiles and screen-names. Kids should know that they should say no or check with a parent when a person or web site asks for this kind of information.