Guidlines for Parents
By taking responsibility for your children's online computer use, parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of being online. Make it a family rule to:

* Never give out identifying information- home address, school name, or telephone number- in a public message such as chat or bulletin boards, and be sure you're dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving it out via e-mail. Think carefully before revealing any personal information such as age, marital status, or financial information. Consider using a pseudonym or unlisting your child's name if your service allows it.

* Get to know the services your child uses. If you don't know how to log on, get your child to show you. Find out what types of information it offers and whether there are ways for parents to block out objectionable material.

* Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer user without parental permission. If a meeting is arranged, make the first one in a public spot, and be sure to accompany your child.

* Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter such messages. If you or your child receives a message that is harassing, of a sexual nature or threatening, forward a copy of the message to your service provider and ask for their assistance. Should you become aware of the transmission, use or viewing of child pornography while online, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 800-843-5678. You should also notify your online service.

* Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him or herself. Thus, someone indicating that "she" is a "12-year-old girl" could in reality be a 40-year-old man.

* Remember that everything you read online may not be true. Any offer that's "too good to be true" probably is. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house.

* Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children. (See Youth Guidelines for Online Safety.) Discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor their compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your children spend on the computer. A child or teenager's excessive use of online services or bulletin boards, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is a potential problem. Remember that personal computers and online services should not be used as electronic babysitters. Be sure to make this a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child's bedroom. Get to know their "online friends" just as you get to know all of their other friends.

Source: Excerpt from Child Safety on the Information Highway. Reprinted with permission of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Copyright NCMEC 1994. All rights reserved. To view the entire document, go to our Web site, http://www.miph.org click on miscellaneous, then click on using the Internet.

Youth Guidelines for Online Safety

Filtering Software
Many commercial online services (like America Online, Prodigy, Compuserve etc.) include parental controls in their online features and make them available to all subscribers. Ask about options for limiting access, setting up logs to monitor sites visited, or the provision of child designated areas.

While some families and institutions access the Internet through an online service, others connect directly to the Internet using an Internet access provider. Internet access providers, like NETCOM, generally don't control access to content. As a result, parental control features must run on the user's own computer rather than on the access provider's computers. A variety of parental control software tools are available to those who use direct access services. Several of these products also work in conjunction with the commercial online services. Listed below are some of the better known products.

Cyber Patrol 3.0
Microsystems Software, Inc., 800-828-2608
http://www.microsys.com/cyber
The September 1996 issue of Internet World rated this the best filtering product across the board. Its greatest strength is its flexibility in providing varying levels of control for different users.

CYBERsitter
Solid Oak Software, Inc., 800-388-276
http://www.solidoak.com
Suggested for parents who want a reasonable level of safety for older youth. Easier to configure than most of the other programs and doesn't charge for updates like some of the competition.

InterGO with KinderGuard
InterGO Communications, Inc., 214-424-7882
http://www.intergo.com
In addition to filtering, this product helps kids find educational Web resources.

Net Nanny
Net Nanny Ltd., 800-340-7177
http://www.netnanny.com
With this product the parent sets the search limits and designates how they want infractions to be handled. If the limits are violated, Net Nanny will shut down the program and lock it until Mom or Dad views the offense and unlocks the program with a password.

Specs for Kids
NewView Inc., 415-299-9016
http://www.newview.com
One of the simplest, if most extreme approaches to safe Internet access. Registered family members only view age appropriate materials chosen by this company's rating board.

Net Shepherd
Net Shepherd Inc., 403-250-5310
http://www.shepherd.net
Still in early stages of development, shows great promise.

SurfWatch
SurfWatch Software, Inc., 800-458-6600
http://www.surfwatch.com
Although Internet World deemed this software easiest to use, it didn't fare well in its blocking abilities.

Using the Internet: A Guide to Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention Resources
Have you been reading the articles about the sea of information you may encounter on the World Wide Web? Does the WWW just seem like an impossible piece to incorporate into your already overbooked work life?

We have tried to simplify the task for you with this handy guide. The guide is designed to provide you, the Minnesota prevention specialist, with Internet resources on alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse (ATOD) prevention materials. In addition to listing Internet addresses for selected prevention resources, this book also includes information about: