The Internet has rapidly

become a part of our daily lives at work and home as well

as a daily part of children's lives at school and play.

Children are provided with countless opportunities via

the Internet, but there are countless dangers as well.

Parents, friends and

relatives of children must be aware of the dangers and

know what preventative steps to take that will ensure

children are safe while they are traveling in the `cyber

world'.

Even if you don't have a

computer or Internet access in the home, your children

still have easy access to the Internet. A recent study

reported that more than 30 percent of U.S. schools have

Internet connections in the classroom and more than 70

percent of all U.S. schools have student access to the

Internet through computer labs, libraries or media

centers.

Here are a few tips that

you can take to protect your children while they are

surfing the Internet.

1. Put your home computer

in the family room, den or

the room where your family

spends most their time while at home. This will allow you

to closely monitor their use of the Internet.

2. Establish rules for

using the Internet and discuss them with your children.

Identify "How, When, Where and Why" they will

access and use the Internet. Remember to frequently

monitor their use of the Internet to ensure they are

following the rules.

3. Decide if you are going

to use parental software programs and if so, install them

before your children access the Internet. Review your

software operating instructions completely and make sure

that you test it fully before letting your kids get

on-line. (Many parental control programs are available

free via the Internet, but choose wisely to determine if

they meet your specific needs.)

4. Talk with your

children's teachers or school administrators to learn

about the school's policies on the use of the Internet

while they are at school. Ask how students' Internet use

is monitored and/or controlled. Make sure that your

school children fully understand the schools policies and

the ramifications if they fail to follow them.

5. Make sure that your

children understand they are not to share personal

information on the Internet. Don't assume that your

children already know. Children sitting in a room alone

with their computer may find it difficult to understand

that there are other people on the other side of their

computer monitor when they are connected to the Internet.

Keep in mind that many children think of the computer as

a video game or television and do not consider that

information placed on the Internet can be seen by

millions of other people. Depending on their age,

children are more trusting by nature and do not consider

the dangers of sharing personal information on the

Internet or talking with others they have never met.

6. Look signs of `Internet

Addiction.' Check your Internet access frequently to see

if your child is spending too much time on the Internet.

If they begin using Internet terms frequently in daily

conversations, are losing sleep, or go straight to the

computer when they get home from school, maybe they are

spending too much time on the Internet.

It might be helpful to

remember that when children use the Internet they are out

among the world, and it's not much different than

allowing them to travel the world alone. Even though they

may seem secure in your home or at school while surfing

the Internet, the dangers of the real world are lurking

close by.