October 2000
Building Blocks
Child protection on the web
The Internet contains a wealth of information for children.
However, the Web can also be a dangerous place for a kid to visit. Fortunately, parents have several
options to choose from when it comes to protecting their children online. However, many questions arise when making the selection. Do you want to play the role of censor, protector or monitor?
Some filtering programs, such as
ChiBrow from allow parents to have complete control over the sites their children surf.
This browser enables children to explore the Web while their ventures are safely defined. ChiBrow can be downloaded for free. CYBERsitter is another filtering product that works secretly in the background, analyzing all Internet activity.
When it detects activity a parent has restricted, such as keywords, specific topics or sites, CYBERsitter denies access. This filtering product is sold at
www.cybersitter.com with a free trial period. Yet another option, Monitoring, allows you to know what is
happening on your computer. You should be prepared to take action when the rules are broken if this form of protection is to be successful. From a child development perspective and as a means of establishment of trust, this form of screening is generally considered far better than others that are available.
The site
www.safe4kids.org offers its own Cyber Snoop, a free downloadable monitoring program. Good tips to follow from safe4kids are to make Internet use a family affair, join children in their searches and share cool sites with each other, laugh over the funny areas and use the dangerous areas as fodder for family discussions.
