» Indika RathnindaUniversity of Peradeniya

Online Safety StrategyNon technical guide for parents

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Safety

Today, any computer-literate child can view anything, free of charge.

parents and caregivers—have had very little experience.

Kids begin using the computer at an early age.

Set family media guidelines

Just as you would explain appropriate behavior in the offline world, the same should be done for online activities.

Here are some non-technical guidelines

Parents supervise use of all internet-enabled devices in the family.

Let your child know that you will monitor his/her activities.

Use safe search engines.

Set up a safe search engine as the default first page on your browser.

Find some websites that are wholesome to share with your child.

Bookmark them and share them with your child.

Teach family members to use the internet for a specific purpose only.

Aimless surfing makes it easier to happen to come across inappropriate sites

Teach children the difference between private and public information.

Private information should not be shared on the internet without parental permission.

Teach children to tell you if they encounter anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Be sure they know they can tell you this without fear of losing computer privileges.This will help reduce the fear or shame of accidental exposure.

Disallow public and private chat rooms, Talk about what friendship is and isn't.

Never interact online with people they don't know,

Limit instant messaging (IM) to a parent-approved buddy list.

Teach children to create passwords that others can't easily guess.

Parents have access and passwords to your kids’ e-mail and instant messaging accounts to make sure that they’re not talking to strangers.

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Teach children that the same rules they use when walking down a street apply when they surf the net.

Teach your child to never have face-to-face meetings with anyone they only know online.

Teach that people sometimes pretend to be older or younger than they actually are.

Teach family members never to open email from anyone they don’t know.

exposure to media is a good way to reduce the desensitizing process that occurs in our hyper-sexualized culture.

Teach your family to be ready to turn away from offensive images.

Many families have a “No Browser History Erase” rule on phones and internet connections. An erased browser history breaks the family rule and has specific consequences.

Regularly check the internet browser history.

Cyber-bullying Talk to your kids about ethical online behavior.

Tell a trusted adult.Ask you for help and advice.

Confirm that your local schools and libraries have filters in place.Additional info for Public Libraries.

Your child may have access to other computers.

Thank You.