Internet Safety for Kids 1

Are you a parent who has a teenager who uses the internet? If you are, do you know that your teenager may run into trouble online? They can get into lots of trouble especially on sites where they speak with friends, for example Facebook or MySpace. Your child may unintentionally fall victim to a child predator online or they may be harassed by those that they know online. would you even know if your child became a victim? Listed below are four signs that you need to look out for keep your teenager out of trouble. You will want to take action right away, if any of these signs apply to your child. 1 They Get on the Computer at the Same Time Everyday What many parents do not realize is that children and teenagers can easily become targets of online child predators. A predator can groom their victim over a long period of time, it doesn’t happen overnight. Some child predators pretend to be the ages of their targets. They groom their targets gaining their trust before they try to arrange a physical meeting. This process can take some time but if they persuasive he can take as little as a few days. You can spot the telltale signs if your teenager seems to be talking to the same person at the same time every day. If your child follows this pattern it is a good sign that someone is communicating with them on a regular basis. 2 Your Child Uses the Computer Without You Knowing Is your child acting any differently while they are on the Internet? But they try to be very secretive and hideaway what’s they are doing when they are on Internet? If they close down their computer or hide away their screen, this is a telltale sign that they are doing something that they shouldn’t be. They could be having personal conversations with a complete stranger, the stranger could be a child predator so watch out for these signs. 3 They Seem To Be Happier Than Normal After They’ve Been On The Internet Your child may think they have found a new friend, being all that happy after talking to this person is a tell tale sign and can lead to big trouble. This sign can be a little bit tricky though. Your child may be happy because they just finished a long school project, but you honestly never know. If your teenager is communicating with someone online, they may be in the process of starting a relationship, which they are happy about. Unfortunately, many teenagers do not realize that anyone can hide behind a computer. This is one of the reasons why you should keep an eye on your child, and even talk to them about what could happen and the dangers of meeting someone online. 4 Your Child May Seem Depressed As previously stated, your child may be very happy when using the internet, but another warning sign is that they are depressed, especially when they sign off the computer. Your child can come under pressure from many directions, especially the Internet, but what most parents don’t realize is that their child could be being bullied by someone they know. They may find themselves being harassed if they have fallen out with one of their friends If that has happened, they may seem withdrawn or depressed. All the signs are just a few of the pressures your child could be under, so make sure you keep an eye on them and stop any harassment as soon as you can.