Resources on Child Online Safety

San Mateo County Library staff encourages parents to discuss online safety and privacy with their children. Below are some excellent resources you can use to help your child or teen learn to stay safer online.

Get Net Wise
This guide discusses risks for children online at different age levels—including teenagers—and from different types of online activity. Also includes examples of contracts for kids to maintain their safety.

I-Safe
This site, from the Internet Safety Education Foundation, emphasizes empowering kids/teens to gain the knowledge they need to act safely and responsibly online. The site offers a list of materials that can be ordered for free to help instruct students, parents, educators, etc.

Netsmartz Workshop
This site, created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, includes safety tips, online and offline games and activities, statistics, safety pledges, and more to teach kids and teens how to stay safer online.

SafeKids.com
This guide for families for "making the Internet and technology fun, safe and productive" features information about online safety for parents and children, covering topics such as computer security, chat rooms, spyware, cell phones, and more.

Internet Safety 1-2-3
Yahoo offers several parenting guides related to online behavior, including internet safety, downloading music, and sexual predator risk.