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Safety Pledge
A safety pledge is a personal contract between you and your child around being safe on the Internet. It opens dialogue between the parent and youngster about safety, privacy, and good behavior when online. Before allowing your children on the Internet, sit down and discuss the issue of safety with them. If you're unsure of what to talk about, think about how you would counsel you child before their first visit to a city with a school group or a first sleep over at a friend's house. What would you tell them in those circumstances? When it comes to the Internet, brainstorm a list of all the things you've read and heard about regarding possible dangers on the Internet. After doing a little research on Internet Safety (The Resources page has some great links for more information) highlight the key areas you and your child should talk about. Then sit down and draw up a contract for being safe on the Internet. It should contain a promise from the child that they'll let you know about certain problems or concerns they encounter while online. It should also reinforce your commitment to working together on the issue. The child should agree to act safely and responsibly on the Internet, but the parent also needs to re-affirm their role in safety. For example, you might pledge to never get angry or raise your voice about places the child visited on the Net if they brought those inappropriate sites or contacts to you on their own. You might promise to increase the child's privileges while online if they demonstrate responsible behavior. You might even set aside time for them to teach you about some of the things the Internet offer. By showing interest in things like Instant Messaging or MP3's or Online Gaming, you'll keep open the lines of communication. You're child is much more likely to talk about problems or concerns around the Internet if you make the effort to listen to them, too.
Draw up the contract. Make it attractive. Both sides sign and then keep it posted in a prominent spot near the family computer. Here is a possible example:
A printable copy of this example of an Internet Safety Pledge is available here. (The Adobe Acrobat Reader, necessary to open this file, is available at the Adobe Acrobat Reader page.
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