WSR

How to Protect your Family from Internet Pornography

The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families offers the following:

Tips for Parents: Safeguarding Your Children Online[3]

• Keep the door of communication open

• If you have reason to suspect your child is viewing inappropriate sites, do not overact - approach your son or daughter with respect

• Develop a trusting relationship with your child early

• Add to online profiles that you monitor your child's use of the Internet

• Keep your computers in heavy traffic areas in your home

• Know your children's online friends

• Use a pre-filtered Internet Service Provider (ISP) - check the bottom of this page

• Check CD's, floppy and zip disks

• Check History Files often

• Spend time with your child as they surf the Internet

• Ask your child to show you what IM (Instant messaging) looks like

• Spend time with your child on-line, and have them teach you about their favorite on-line destinations

• Get to know and use the "Parental Controls" provided by your Internet Service Provider and/or blocking software

• Always maintain access to your child's on-line account, and randomly check his or her account

• Teach your child about responsible use of the resources on the Internet

• Find out what safeguards are used at your child's school, the public library and at the homes of your child's friends. These are all places, outside your supervision, where a child could encounter an on-line predator

• Instruct your child NEVER to arrange face-to-face meetings with someone they met on-line and NOT to respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent or harassing

• Tell your child to NEVER give out identifying information such as name, address, school name or telephone number to people they don't know

• Explain to your child to NEVER post pictures of them on the Internet - let them know this has seriously harmed other children

• Teach your child to come and get you when they accessed something on the Internet that makes them feel uncomfortable, no matter what it is

• Teach your child that the Internet is a good source for educational, recreational and creative searches, but has intentional land mines placed that could hurt them

[3] The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families. (2002).Tips for parents: Safeguarding your children online. Retrieved July 16, 2003 from http://www.nationalcoalition.org/parenttips.phtml?ID=18&PageID=25

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Ultimately, the responsibility to shun pornography lies with each individual. To help, there are a number, of things we can do to protect ourselves and the ones we love from this invasive influence.

• Keep your computer in a highly-trafficked area.

• Install an Internet filter (see list below) and pop-up blocker.

• Stay away from chat rooms.

• Do not give out your e-mail address.

• Don't hesitate to get help (i.e. seek your Bishop)

Some Internet Filters

CYBERsitter Internet Filter

Bsafe Online Internet Filter

Surfcontrol Internet Filter

A Family Internet Filter

ContentProtect