ABA Family Legal Guide

Computer Law

Child Protection and the Internet

What can a parent do?

Concerned parents and caregivers should closely monitor what sites their children are accessing and consider the installation of blocking software. Parents can refuse to give their children their own Internet account, thereby making it more difficult for them to disguise what sites and chat rooms they have visited.

However, the FBI warns parents that children can access an online chat room even if they have no account at home. Children can get online at a friend's house or the library. In addition, most computers are preloaded with online software, and sex offenders can provide children with an online account to facilitate e-mail communication.

Parents should, therefore, speak with their child about the dangers of communicating with strangers online and spend time with their child while he or she is on the computer. In addition, computers should be kept in a common area of the house, where a parent can monitor use, and not in the sanctity of the child's bedroom.