Everybody loves to spend time online. Your kids like to spend time online. And so they should. The Internet is full of new ideas, interesting people, and new experiences. However the technology that helps you explore and use the Web also makes it easy for you to expose your personal information to others, and unfortunately there are some people who will happliy take advantage of this.

Consider five key areas of concern:

Online Predators : social networking sites, chat rooms
Cyberbullying : bullying peers via instant messages, social networking sites, online games
Inappropriate Content : pornography, content focused on violence, hate propaganda
Malicious Software : adware, spyware, viruses, phishing scams
Data Theft : stolen passwords, addresses, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and other financial information

1. Predators
Online predators are usually adults (mainly men, sometimes women) who use deceptive methods to foster a friendship with young Web users. Online predators typically pretend to be young people and spend their efforts making friends with minors. They procure personal information and other data about their 'friends' online so they can find or meet their target in the real world, to lure, blackmail, abuse or kidnap them.

What is the danger?
Children are susceptible to predators when they chat online with strangers. Children innately want to feel accepted and will often do things they normally wouldn't consider, to gain the approval of an online 'friend'. They will sometimes make photos of themselves and other personal details accessible. Unfortunately a predator will make use of these clues to get emotionally and physically closer to their target.

What can I do?
Many reputable websites provide information on keeping kids safe from online strangers. Guidelines include staying private online and using parental control software. Equally as important, parents should ensure their children are aware of the deceptive behavior and the dangers posed by online predators.

2. Cyber-bullying
It's scary and damaging when bullies assault (either psychologically or physically) other students at school. It can be even more damaging when bullying happens to your children online. Cyberbullying includes insults, threats, and gossip which are propagated through e-mail / IM (instant messaging), transmitted on social networking websites, written in forums, and disseminated throughout community online games.

What is the danger?
Sadly, there's no easy way to protect children from determined bullies, online or offline. The best defense is early detection (does your child become anxious when going online or answering the cell phone?) and knowing your options. For example, Rycefield Park Country School, a K-12 school for girls in England, quotes a sample of cyberbullying ("A girl gets e-mail every day after school from an anonymous person who calls her the fattest, stupidest, ugliest girl who ever lived") and offers excellent advice on what to do if the harassment escalates. Specific tips also are available through www.surfingsafely.net and other informational websites.

What can I do?
Ensure that kids talk to an adult if they become victims of bullying, either at school or online. Keep the evidence and report incidents to your Internet service provider, e-mail provider, or Web site host, as appropriate. If the incidents spill over to offline, report the encounters to the bully's parents or to school officials.

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