Protecting your kids online

There's been some terrible stories over the last month about teenagers committing terrible acts over the Internet. These stories are heartbreaking and don't need repeating here. It's sufficient to say every parent should be concerned about what their children are doing on the Internet.

The Federal government's Net Alert initiative has a lot of very useful tips and a valuble comparison of Internet filters, However all the technology in the world cannot prevent your kids from going to the wrong places and talking to the wrong people. You need to keep an eye on what your kids are doing online.

It should be remembered that computers are not babysitters and the Internet is a big, dangerous city. You wouldn't let your kids wander alone around Saint Kilda or Kings Cross late at night and the Internet should not be considered any different. The Kim Kommando website has an excellent "Ten Commandments of Kids Online" which we would recommend.

Ultimately, you have to supervise what your kids are doing. This means getting the computers out of their bedrooms. In our view, the most likely way for kids to get into trouble is when they don't have anyone keeping an eye on them.

If you are genuinely concerned about where and what your kids are doing on the Internet then you MUST NOT allow them to have computers or surf the net in places where they can't be easily supervised.