Welcome back to this, our third Predator Free Safety Tip.

For starters I could make a bet that with a pretty good guess I'd win. It's still a fact that our children still know more about the internet then most of their parents. That is where I start safety tip 3. Parents, to make a difference in your childs life or that of others, you have to become more educated about the internet than your child.

The statistics are growing daily last count was there are over 30 million children on line daily, and today, I'm sure those numbers have increased. 77% of all children on line have been contacted by at least one predator if not more. Only 25 percent of those children ever tell their parents about the situation.

More alarming then the above statistics is there is a 75% chance that your children are going to give these predators some personal information, and not even realize they are doing it. As a parent you should inform your child never, ever, list their name, age, date of birth, or even what sex they are in a user name or a login name.

With that information, a well seasoned predator can find and locate your child. This one should open some of your eyes, not only can they find your child's home address, but also they can find the school they attend.

Parents Your Education starts here:

Anyone can be anyone they want to be on line.

Predators are searching profiles, and stalking chatrooms and reading childrens blogs.

A predator that finds his next victim has watched and groomed your child overtime to feel open and able to communicate and trust them.

On line predators prey on children's trust and emotions. There are many predators that have a goal, and it is their goal to isolate them from you, and at the same time build trust and draw them closer to them. Over time, they may even have built enough trust that they know the child will meet with them.

Here are just a few things you can do to start to make a difference in what happens while your child is on line.

There are programs you can buy to filter and monitor what your child is doing on line.

If you child is on line on weekends and nights and is spending far too much time on line and they aren't acting the same, you bet something is going on.

If your child changes screens as you walk by, know there is a possibility they are hiding something you need to know.

Sex offenders know that most of their target victims will be on the computer late at night and on weekends when their parents are sleeping, so those times are the times that the predators are really on the prowl.

The predators have developed a masters degree in befriending our children.

You can buy the programs to install on your computer, and they are good. However, remember, your child can go to a friends house and get on their computer, or at a library.

So, it comes down to befriending your children, and teaching them on line what is right, what is wrong, and what you will and will not accept. You also need to get it through to them, that, you might think you know who you are talking about, and that's not really who it is.

As a parent, you pay the bills, bought the computer, pay the bill for internet service, so, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MONITOR WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE DOING.

Get a copy of all your childs screennames and passwords, and check on their sites from time to time, and if you go to one and you can't enter because they changed the password, trust me, that was done for a reason. They are hiding something. Demand they open it for you, and then go through it. Read any blogs that were written and responses, look at all the comments from their friends, and then go look at the comments they are leaving on their friends pages.

Most parents let their children have a computer in their room. A lot of the time, it's when those doors are closed that the kids are talking to people and they shouldn't be, but they don't know that at the time.

Some suggest putting the computer in a more public location in the house. There is a way each computer can have the keyboard locked so no one has access to it when it's locked, that's something parents might consider when they go to bed at night.

Some parents might even disconnect the keyboard and take it to bed with themselves.

This safety tip 3 is just the beginning of an education for you. There will be many more to come.

If you speak english in your home, you know how to read and write the language, if you speak another language, you know how to read and write in that language.

Do you speak, read and write in the following language? If you don't you better learn if you trust your children on line while you sleep or even while you are awake.

Internet Language (Lingo)

<3

143

2nite

420

8

9

99

A/S/L/P

AEAP

AML

AYV

CYM

DYHB

DYHG

JEOMK

WTGP

The above is a language the predators are talking to your children in, and the children know the language also. Go to www.netlingo.c om and educate yourself, so you know what your children are saying as they are online and you pass by and see something.

In closing, Tip 3 is designed to open the eyes of some of the parents that are clueless. Never, ever believe that an online predator can't get to your child, because in their world of hunting and stalking the word never is not applicable.

Educate yourself in the language of predator/internetville.

Pay more attention to what your children are doing on line, don't use the computer to give them a place to go and give you a break and use it as a babysitter. The sitter that's going to be sitting on the other side of the screen is a seasoned and professional predator, that will find a way to reach out and get your child if you aren't paying attention.

Stay safe, and have a great coming week and see ya'll next week with Sher Kares ~Predator Free~ Tip 4


Blessings to all,
Sher