Safe and
Sound
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS ON THE INTERNET
by Mimi Sherman
The internet, the great revolution in communication, has created a dilemma for parents. How can they introduce their children to the positive aspects of the Net without exposing them to inappropriate material and dangerous situations?
For the past few years, government, industry and community groups have been trying to implement safeguards. In 1996, Congress approved the Communications Decency Act, making it illegal to distribute obscene or indecent material over the Internet, but the Supreme Court overturned the act, ruling its vague language a violation of the First Amendment.
In an attempt to develop safety and privacy tools not tied to government legislation, President Clinton convened the Internet Online Summit: Focus on Children. For three days last December, hundreds of media, education and government leaders debated how to make the Internet a safer place.
Several months later these groups still disagree on whether Web-site ratings, built-in browser controls, software filters or another technology is the solution.
In the meantime, a number of sites have been created to educate parents about online risks. Here are the best places to go for information on ensuring your children's safety, and your family's privacy, on the Internet.
CHILD SAFETY ON
THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
Child
Safety On The Information
Superhighway
Larry Magid, a syndicated columnist for the LOS ANGELES TIMES, gives
tips for becoming street smart about the Web. His Guidelines for
Parents, 10 specific suggestions for safeguarding children's online
activities, explains how to deal with everything from suggestive or
misleading content to possible online-arranged meetings with
strangers.
NETPARENTS.ORG:
RESOURCES FOR INTERNET PARENTS
Netparents.Org:
Resources For Internet Parents
A straightforward introduction to safe-surfing that includes
explanations of the safety tools available to parents and a listing
of kid-friendly sites.
U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION PARENTS GUIDE
U.S.
Department Of Education Parents
Guide
A detailed guide for parents on how to encourage children to use the
Internet. Information ranges from basic definitions of Internet terms
to a list of what kids should learn never to do online.
FAMILYPC
PARENTAL GUIDANCE AND KIDS' SAFETY
CLEARINGHOUSE
Familypc
Parental Guidance And Kids' Safety
Clearinghouse
FAMILYPC'S guide to safety and privacy issues includes the latest
news, advice from the magazine's columnists and an Internet
Bill of Rights for Parents.
CHILDREN'S
PARTNERSHIP
Children's
Partnership
The Children's Partnership is a national, nonprofit organization
dedicated to educating the public about children's issues. Much of
the easily-navigated site focuses on using the Internet.
How
Can You Keep Your Child Safe Online?
discusses Web filtering systems, built-in browser controls and Web
ethics. For more on how to use the Internet, see the Parents'
Guide to the Information
Superhighway.
AMERICAN LIBRARY
ASSOCIATION
American
Library Association
The American Library Association, founded in 1876, has been at the
forefront of the debate over how to ensure freedom of speech online
without unnecessarily exposing children to objectionable material.
The Librarian's
Guide to Cyberspace for Parents and
Kids lists safety
tips as well as over
700
recommended Web sites.
Other advice includes What
Parents Should Know about
surfing at the library.
NATIONAL CENTER
FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: INTERNET RELATED CHILD
EXPLOITATION
National
Center For Missing And Exploited Children: Internet Related Child
Exploitation
Resources available from the Center for Missing and Exploited
Children include statistics, tips for parents, children and teens as
well as a CyberTipline,
which people can use to report online pornography.
CENTER FOR
DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY
Center
For Democracy And Technology
The Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit, public-interest
group, makes a case for the future of Internet filtering software in
the Internet
Family Empowerment White Paper.
For more on how Web sites collect personal information, see the
Privacy
Demonstration and the
Privacy
Issues page.
CENTER FOR MEDIA
EDUCATION
Center
For Media Education
A nonprofit organization concerned with improving the quality of
media, the Center for Media Education is interested not only in the
future
of electronic media for
kids, but also the negative impact online
advertising can have on
them.
PROJECT
OPEN
Project
Open
How
to Get the Most Out of Going Online
is the first in a series of consumer guides distributed by the Online
Public Education Network.
Mimi Sherman is an Associate Editor for Family.com.
ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK BLACKWELL FOR FAMILY.COM