Jigsaw Parents' Guide to Surfing with your Children

1. IMMERSE YOURSELF in the technology.

Learn to use the Internet, visit the places your kids visit, and know the benefits and risks of the medium first-hand.

Your local library is a good place to find out more about using the Internet.

2. SUPERVISE your child's online activities.

Put the computer in a central area where the family spends time.

Observe your kids when they're online and be aware of who they're corresponding with.

Sharing an e-mail box and password with your child is a good way to supervise the mail he or she receives from strangers and solicitors.

Know where your kids go on the Internet. Check the history file of your browser regularly to see which Internet sites your child is visiting and whether they're appropriate.

3. SET RULES.

Review your home's Internet safety rules with your child often. Teach your child to Talk to you about unusual or inappropriate content or people that he or she encounters online.

Treat others he or she meets online with respect.

Never give out personal information (last name, phone number, address, password, etc.) online-even to someone who seems friendly or official. Teach your child not to give out this information about friends, family, or his or her school, as well.

Never arrange in-person meetings with someone he or she has met online without first getting your permission.

Never arrange to meet someone he or she has met online without bringing a parent along, and to always arrange to meet in a public place.

Immediately exit areas that are uncomfortable-for whatever reason.

Resist the urge to buy things online without your permission.

Avoid downloading, opening or sending e-mail attachments to or from anyone without your permission.

4. INSTILL TRUST AND CONFIDENCE.

Teach your child to trust his or her instincts. If he or she senses something is fishy online, it probably is.

Remind your child that the things people tell him or her online may not always be true.

Make sure your kids aren't afraid to talk to you about ANYTHING that may happen online.

Be reassuring and reinforcing when your child tells you about an online incident, even if your child initiated it.

5. GET EDUCATED.

Read the privacy policies of the web sites your kids visit. Some web sites sell or share personal information they collect on their web sites and/or use it to market directly to children. If you're uncomfortable with a particular web site's privacy policy, ask your child not to visit the site.

Familiarise yourself with the kinds of advertising your child sees on the sites he or she visits. Many web site advertisements link kids directly to e-commerce areas. Be sure you know what your child is exposed to online and restrict his or her use of any sites that concern you.

6. BE AWARE.

The Internet is like the real world. There is both good content and bad content to be found there. Be aware of the kinds of inappropriate material unsupervised children can encounter there.

Pornography, racism, violence, and hate are just a few of the unpleasant things your child may find without proper guidance.

Take time to explore the Internet with your child and direct him or her to high-quality sites to use and enjoy.

7. TAKE ACTION.

If you or your child see or experience something inappropriate on the Internet, report it to the authorities or to your Internet Service Provider.