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Readers' comments on any of these resources are alsways welcome! Do email us via feedback@netfamilynews.org.Detective Williams's Tip No. 2 - The computers kids use should be in high-traffic areas of the house
"There are two reasons for this rule," Bob writes: "One, the parent is able to supervise the child's online activities nearby, and two, every time a parent walks by the connected PC a child is reminded to follow the family rules about surfing the Net safely. Incidentally, when you walk by the computer, stop and ask questions. What Web site are you on? Who are you talking to on IM [instant- messaging], and how do you know that person? Has anyone typed a message to you that makes you feel bad or uncomfortable? Questions like that. This shows the child that you're interested and care about her. It also alerts the child that you are watching closely. Have I said this before?: There is no substitute to parental supervision.
"I investigated a case regarding a 5th-grader who was receiving unwanted, harassing email. The suspect was a classmate. After confirming the screenname and subscriber information with the 5th-grader's Internet service provider by subpoena, I went to the house to confront the sender. The parent assured me that her child was not the sender. Someone else must be using the child's screenname and password. The parent's explanation was that the child does his homework in his bedroom on a laptop, and cable access wasn't available in that room. Upon speaking with the child, the officer determined that, without the parents' knowledge, the child had removed the telephone cord from the phone and connected his laptop using dial-up service.
"Let's keep that computer in a common area!!"
Det. Bob Williams is a father of two high school students and Youth Officer in the Greenwich, Conn., Police Department. You'll find other parts of this series here.
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