Increasing the Safety of Children Using Internet Social Websites

I can’t tell you how many times in this past year my clients have expressed concern about their children’s Internet usage and their frustration with a co- parent’s refusal or inability to monitor the children for safety concerns. Some of these parents are successful in limiting their children’s access to certain sites—as long as the children are using a home computer. Some of the parents monitor their children’s usage with computer programs like Spectorsoft (a keystroke program).

I have lately been forwarding to my clients articles from newspapers or Internet websites that help them to assess the potential dangers to their children and to implement security measures to protect their children. Recently, I discovered a new resource. I’ll be sending it on to my clients who have pre-teen and teen-aged children. I invite you to incorporate this into newsletters or other communications that you may send out to your clients. Or, to make it easier, you can forward them this article on my Blog "Updates in Michigan Family Law," which contains hyperlinks to specific FAQs and tips to increase children’s Internet safety.

Internet privacy and security lawyer, Parry Aftab, explores an issue that is critical to the safety of children as she takes a look at blog sites, profile sites, diary sites and other social-networking sites. The most popular of these sites is MySpace.com . Ms. Aftab provides specific information about how parents can improve the safety of their children in these two FAQ and tip sheets: "Quick tips on social networking safety for parents and teens" and "What you need to know about YouTube and other video networks."  View these and  read more valuable information and common-sense subbestions for parents on Ms. Aftag's Blog at http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/blogs.html

To contact Jeanne Hannah or to view her Family Law website, click here.

Comments

[Jessica]

Mrs. Hannah, I am a concerned parent when it comes to the Internet and my teenagers. I discovered this problem back in August and have been in contact with several organizations. Legally what do you think of starting some sort of a parent volunteer program to monitor what our children our doing on line. It is coming down to parents willing to be parents and until they realize what their children our facing on line, the problem is going to get worse...Jessica