➟ Work together, find out how and where to report
abuse on every service your grandchildren use. Create
an environment that encourages kids to report any
problems to you. Demonstrate to them that acting as
a responsible Internet citizen can help stop the illegal
activity, harassment, and predatory behavior of online
criminals.➟ Talk about not trading personal information for free-
bies. Just as in the physical world, if it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is. Unwanted software,
such as spyware and viruses, often piggybacks on soft-
ware or other merchandise that’s free.➟ Request information about the safeguards on the com-
puters that your grandchild uses outside the home.
This includes computers at school, the public library,
and the homes of other family members or friends.➟ Help your grandchildren choose safe e-mail addresses,
IM names, chat nicknames, and other such identifiers.➟ If you’re a full-time care giver, sit down periodically
with the kids to review who they communicate with
and what they’re doing online. Review their safety set-
tings to be sure they are still appropriate, or adjust as
needed as they grow.Help Protect Grandchildren Using E-Mail
Today, kids don’t consider e-mail cool, so they don’t use it often.
However, it’s a tool they’ll use now and then, so follow this advice
for safer e-mailing:➟ For young children, use a service that enables you to
limit your child’s contacts to people you know.216
Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk