Thankfully, those cases are few and far between. Most of the time, trouble will result from the release of personal information to strangers. A recent survey by the Washington, D.C.-based Annenberg Public Policy Center found that two out of three kids age 10 to 17 were more than happy to disclose the names of their favorite stores online in exchange for a free gift. The point is that kids willing to turn over personal details might not stop at telling strangers where they shop. Post a set of simple rules, including never releasing personal or family information.
Supervision is important.
Move the computer out of the back bedroom and into the kitchen or another location where you can keep an eye on the kids. If you can't supervise the kids and you can't trust them to follow the rules, don't let them use the computer. Take the power cable or maybe the keyboard and mouse with you when you leave. Allowing the kids to type in Web addresses can lead to trouble. A missed dot is all it takes sometimes to send the unwary to a pornographic site instead of an online location fit for general audiences.