Snooping or Concerned?

Naturally there are many benefits to having a computer and Internet access, but it is also important to remember that all of the components of facilitated communication are also abused by some people. E-mail and instant messaging provide a sense of anonymity on the Internet which has produced an onslaught of Internet Predators. These types of people pray on immature and naïve users who are unaware of the dangers that talking to strangers may have.

There are many different types of programs that will monitor your child’s computer use as well as programs that the log the history of sites and chat rooms visited and sometimes even the conversations themselves. All of these things are useful tools for parents who wish to deter their kids from speaking to potential predators online. There are other signs that you may want to look for and possible solutions when trying to determine if your child is at risk.

Does your child receive emails, mail, phone calls or anything from people that you do not know? Be involved in your child's life; make sure that you know about their friends as it may help alert you to any suspicious activity. Does your child spend quite a bit of time on the computer? Granted some kids are online for extended periods of times with homework or research, but predators and their victims usually form some type of bond on the Internet. If your child spends quite a bit of time talking with one person make sure you find out who they are. One of the previously mentioned programs is great for keep track of things like that.

If your child seems a little reluctant about you being on the computer they use that can sometimes be a warning that they may be hiding something. Of course most teens are suspicious by nature and not thrilled with having their parents look through any of their stuff. So don't assume that they are hiding something bad, it could be that your son doesn't want you to see that one of his friends (girl, of course) sends him emails full of those cute emoticons or smileys and that he returns them the same way!

First and foremost speak with your kids tell them about the possible dangers of giving information while online. Warn them about chatting with strangers and ask them to tell you before they give out any information at all.