Tips on Protecting Your Kids from Internet Predators

On Wednesday night the City sponsored a meeting on Child Exploitation with a specific focus on ways in which the Internet is being used. 40 people showed up and stayed beyond the 90 minutes for an extended questions and answer period.

Here are some specific suggestions that will lessen the probability of your child being negatively impacted -

• Educate your child about the dangers on the Internet. You're not so much worried about their behavior but the behavior of people on the other side of the web.
• Encourage them to report to you anything out of the ordinary, but remember that cyber predators are clever at coaching kids how to avoid parents.
• If you find out about cyber bullying, your child or any other child, talk to the bully's parents, the school, etc.
• Watch for any sudden changes in your child's behavior. It may be the result of cyber bullying.
• Don't allow your child unrestricted access to the Internet.
• Remember that access to the Internet is available through multiple avenues, including their phone, ipad, computer, Play Station, xBox, etc.
• Monitor your child's internet usage. Check their history. Consider using web tools for this purpose.
• Filter what your child can see. You can do this through software or through your modem settings.
• Provide access as your child matures. Avoid access too soon.
• A lot of predators work at night so restrict your child's night use of Internet. Don't allow access to devices in child's room at night.
• Consider alternatives to smart devices (e.g., an alarm clock, a camera, a gizmo watch).
• Kids sometimes use your neighbor's modem for access to restricted areas. Be sure your neighbor's wi-fi is protected and your kids are not logging on.

For more info about Internet security click here.

The Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF) is a multi-agency team which includes Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Newport Beach Police Department, Huntington Beach Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, assigned to investigate Internet-related crimes against children as well as crimes involving the possession, production and distribution of child pornography.

We will be considering future seminars of this type.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His twitter handle is @DrJimGardner. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.

Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a town hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will be Thursday Feb 15 at 7 pm at the Beach and Tennis Club on Ridge Rte.