Parental Controls
As a parent you may have concerns about letting your child use the Web. You know the Internet is full of potential for education, but you've also heard about the dangers that children can encounter there. The good news is that incredible technologies exist that empower parents to control their child's internet activities with just a few simple steps.At PrisonStud.com, we strongly recommend that you educate yourself on Web safety. This guide provides you with very "Simple Steps" that will help you dramatically reduce your child's ability to view adults-only content and will also effectively block all PrisonStud websites.
Simple steps for greater control
By following the simple steps outlined below help you have much greater control over your child's activities. PrisonStud.com provides lists of all it's websites to all major commercial blocking softwares; PrisonStud websites are all also self-rated with ICRA which allows them to be blocked with the Content Advisor described below.
- Internet Explorer's Content Advisor. The Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser (installed on over 96% if all computers) has a built-in function that allows you to restrict or 'block' certain websites. It is easy to use
and very effective. Click here for a tutorial on this feature.
All PrisonStud.com and affiliated websites are ICRA labelled. All PrisonStud.com and affiliated websites can be blocked for free by using Microsoft's Content Advisor. For a tutorial regarding how to use Microsoft's Content Advisor, click here. For information on the ICRA labelling system and how this helps parents control their families internet activities, click here. - Commercial Blocking Software. These softwares use several methods to identify and block websites. Some also track all your child's keystrokes so you can see where they have been and what they have typed on the internet.
These are not free, but are inexpensive and any parent who owns a computer with an internet connection has no excuse to not use one. Click here for a list of some options.
- Talk to Your Child. Child-safety experts say that open communication between parents and children is one of the best ways to promote your child's safety. Surf with your child. Ask them to show you their favorite sites and activities. Make sure they know that they can talk to you about anything they encounter that makes them uncomfortable. Remind them that, just as in the real world, when they're on the Internet they shouldn't talk to strangers.
- Control Access to the Internet. One of the simplest ways to promote safe surfing is to keep the computer in a common room, where you can see and discuss the sites your children visit. Another simple and free technique: teach young children to use a kid's directory of sites, and older children to use a family-safe search engine like Net Nanny's. If your child's computer is in a different room or you want a more comprehensive solution, consider buying a commercial product described above.
- Monitor Your Child. Simple -- and free -- solutions include sharing an email account with your child and checking the history on your Web browser history to see what sites have been visited. Even if you don't share an account, you should maintain access to their accounts.
The internet provides information and content from all over the world. Because laws and regulations differ from country to country, parents can not depend on others to watch their children online for them. The tools listed above empower parents to take greater control of their families activities online. This next section is intended to alert parents to more potential threats that exist online and offers helpful solutions. While 'Adult Erotica' websites may be the most visible and widely publicised on the Web, parents should be aware of threats such as online sexual predators, chatroom dangers, and indentity 'phishing' scams. Some examples and solutions are listed below:
- Online predators can use the Internet as a tool for luring children into meeting them in person. They use email, chat rooms and instant messaging to make contact with children online, sometimes pretending to be a child or teen themselves. They then build up an online relationship in an attempt to convince the child to meet them face-to-face. It is a scary but very real threat, as documented by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Make sure you have access to all of your child's email and messenger accounts. Check these accounts regularly to make sure no unwanted communications are occuring.
- Phishing is the act of illegally obtaining personal information such as credit card numbers, passwords and bank account information. This con is a relatively new but growing threat to Internet users, and one to which children can be particularly vulnerable. Sites like the Anti-Phishing Working Group are documenting its rise and effects. So, how do you help protect your child from phishing? Sharing an email account with your child will help tremendously. Browse their sent and received emails to make sure they aren't talking with any strangers.