• Netsmartz, a project from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, has a number of Internet Safety pledges that you and your child can sign. Agreeing on some simple guidelines can help ensure your child doesn’t do anything to compromise their safety on line: http://www.netsmartz.org/Resources/Pledges
• Consider using a service such as OpenDNS or NetNanny to control your child’s access to websites you find inappropriate or unacceptable.
• Consider asking your child to register for sites with your email and a shared password so you can ensure they stay safe and do not give out any personally identifying information.
• Put the computer in a shared space, such as a living room or office. This way you can keep an eye on your child while they use the web.
• Here are some safety tips to share with your child to help keep them safe on Formspring, and the web in general:
• The internet has a long memory! Remember that what you post now may be available for a very long time. Think carefully before you publish information that may be problematic when looking for a job or applying to colleges.
• Never give out your address, phone number, or any other personal information on the internet.
• Never respond to harassment or abuse. This just encourages the bully to keep targeting you. Instead, follow the reporting guide HERE so we can remove the bully as soon as possible.
• Be familiar with our Terms & Policy so you can keep your behavior acceptable, as well as recognize bad behavior from others.
• Make sure you use a strong and secure password. You can check how secure your password is at http://howsecureismypassword.net/. It will also give you tips on how to make your password stronger.
• If you would like to read more about how to keep your child safe on Formspring and the Internet in general, please visit http://www.connectsafely.org/