Educate yourself first, then your child.
Educating your child on how to keep safe while online is an essential first step. Tell your children not to post photos, their names, address, phone numbers, schools or other personal information. Discuss with them that people they are talking to may not actually be who they say they are, and NEVER meet face to face with someone you met online. Banning your child from certain websites may only motivate them to spend more time on them.

As a parent, know the dangers associated with websites your children frequent.
Whether it’s MySpace, Facebook or another social networking site, knowing what your children are doing, and to whom they are speaking with is crucial and may save your children from a potentially dangerous situation. Educate your children and show them warning signs that can lead to harmful situations.

Teach your children what to do if they encounter pornography on a home or public computer.
Teach your children to quickly turn off the power to the computer monitor and get an adult. This will prevent the child from attempting to stop the situation themselves, and clicking more buttons than can expose them to more pornography.

Manage your children's time on the Internet.
Scheduling times your children can access the internet ensures you know when they are on the internet and for how long. This also reduces their chance of internet surfing beyond their bedtime.

Teach your children to be responsible when communicating.
A good rule is: If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t e-mail it, instant message it, or post it as a comment on someone’s page. Many popular websites today have easy-to-use tools that will allow users to flag inappropriate content posted by others. It’s important children know how to flag inappropriate content when they encounter it.

Keep computers in a central place or other open areas not in a child’s bedrooms.
This makes it easier for you to keep an eye on your children’s internet activities. With computers in the open, children will be less inclined to view and access material that may not be acceptable.

Set Internet Safety Guidelines for your children and enforce consequences if they are not being followed.
Giving your children these guidelines will let them know what actions are appropriate and inappropriate when using the internet, and the consequences if they are broken. When these guidelines are consistently enforced, children are more likely to follow them.

Open communication and Trust with your children is extremely valuable.
If your children feels that something is inappropriate, approached by a cyber stranger, receives threats from a cyber bully- they can approach you for help to resolve the issue without fear of receiving punishment.