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The Internet isn’t as scary of a place as the media would have you believe. Certainly, there are predators (ahem, Dateline)… but it’s easier than you think to help your children avoid interacting with miscreants.

Set up your computer in a central and accessible location in your home. If there are other computers in the house, then designate the highly visible one as the only one that they are allowed to use. Make time to use the Internet with your children. Allow them show you their online skills, while you openly discuss what is on the screen.

As a parent, it’s important that you know who your children’s online friends are monitor their chat sessions.

Instruct your children never to give out personal information (name, address, phone number, school, hometown) to people they meet online in chat rooms or on bulletin boards. Perhaps make a friendly reminder list of the information to never give out and post it by the computer area.

If your children participate in chat or e-mail, advise them not to meet in person with anyone they first “met” online. If you feel it is safe for them to meet their online friends, insist they bring you or trusted friends along and meet in a public place.

Make sure that your children feel open to talk about something they see, if it makes them feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. Show them how to turn off the monitor and emphasize that it’s not their fault if they see something upsetting. Remind children to inform a trusted adult if they see something that bothers them.

If you suspect online “stalking” or sexual exploitation of a child, report it to your local law-enforcement agency. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has a system (CyberTipline.com) for identifying online predators and child pornographers.

You can also run a sex offender search on trusted people search engine sites such as Private Eye - Sex Offender Search.

All Internet accounts should be in your name. Parents must have the primary screen name, controlling passwords, and using blocking and/or filtering devices.

Check your browser because you may be able to set some parental controls Internet Explorer allows you to restrict or allow certain Web sites to be viewed on your computer, and you can protect these settings with a password. To find those options, click “Tools” on your menu bar, select “Internet Options,” choose the “Content” tab, and click the “Enable” button under “Content Advisor.”

Try using Glubble, a Firefox plugin that allows parents to control a white list of which domains their kids can visit. The service is seeded with a list of 350 approved properties for domains like Disney.com or Nickelodeon, but parents can add new domains or individual links and even combine their lists with those of other parents. However, this is especially geared for children ages 12 and under.

Another product to try is IMSafer, which is a service that promises to filter IM communication for conversation deemed potentially predator. This is great for any of your children using instant messenger services.

But parents, please remember, there is absolutely nothing that can substitute parental supervision.

***Picture Thanks to Ethired***