By now we’ve all seen the undercover news show in which police officers go into chat rooms and pretend to be teenage girls. Adult men then chat with the “teens” and set up a meeting. One of these predators even showed up on his “date” with a t-shirt which read “World’s Greatest Dad”! How do we protect our children from such predators? Here are some tips to share with your children:
- Never give out personal information (such as name, age, address, phone number, school, town, password, schedule) or fill out questionnaires or any forms online.
- Never meet in person with anyone you have met online.
- Do not enter chat rooms.
- Do not tell anyone online where you will be or what you will be doing without Mom and/or Dad’s permission.
- Never respond to or send e-mail to new people you meet online. Talk to your parents first so that they can check it out.
- Be careful not to go into a new online area that is going to cost additional money without first getting Mom and/or Dad’s permission.
- Never send, without Mom and/or Dad’s permission, a picture over the Internet or via regular mail to anyone you’ve met on the Internet.
- Don’t buy or order products online or give out any credit card information online without Mom and/or Dad’s permission.
- Never respond to any email or chat conversation that makes you feel uncomfortable. End such an experience by logging off and telling Mom and/or Dad as soon as possible.
- Always tell Mom and/or Dad about something you saw, intentionally or unintentionally, that is upsetting.
Secure 128-bit SSL Encrypted Email Communication
