Computer Safety

• Rules in the home should be the same for the cyber world (ie., the Internet).
• No communication with anyone you (the parent) have never met.
• "Grooming" is not what you might expect. It is a long process that develops trust between the individual/stranger and the child. Gifts, a letter, or money are a warning sign.
• The individual/stranger may start out as a friend that just wants to understand the child better. The individual may play the sympathy role with the child to build the relationship between them. The relationship may become strong such that the child becomes dependent on the relationship and will not let it be broken.
• After the individual/stranger has gained the trust of the child, the child may begin to divulge the truth and other personal information. The individual may then send gifts, money, etc. and attempt to setup a meeting between themself and the child.

• Have any computer (with Internet access) in a main room in the home.
• Know your child's passwords.
• Don't be afraid to monitor and research your child's activity on the computer or on the Internet. Regularly check Internet history, Cookies, and temporary Internet files.
• If your child has a MySpace account (or similar), ensure they have enabled features such as Under Age 14, Only friends access page, etc.
• Watch for changes in your child such as attitude, obsession with the computer or Internet, grooming techniques, etc.
• Be aware that bullying may also be a factor on the Internet.

• Logon to the computer with your child's account and password.
• Navigate to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Explorer. This will start the Windows Explorer application.
• Near the top left side, look in the My Documents folder.

• Logon to the computer with your child's account and password.
• Start Internet Explorer.
• Find and click on the Internet Options menu option. The location of this option may vary depending on the version of Internet Explorer on the computer.
• Click on the Settings button for History.
• Set an appropriate number of days to keep pages in History. For example, you might keep 28 days of browsing history for your child's account. Set a household rule that only a parent may clear the History.
• In the same window/dialog there may be a View Files button. Click on that button to view Cookies and files still in the History for Internet Explorer.
• Press CTRL-SHIFT-H to view the History of websites in Internet Explorer. If you just extended the number of days of browsing history note that it will not be retroactively available to you.

Emergency Kits

How to be notified of school closures

Websites for children