Both children and predators are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their online activities which makes it all the more difficult to ensure Internet child safety. Many contemporary children learn how to use computers in kindergarten or even earlier. They may also have access to a wide variety of computer equipment at school, at home and at the homes of their friends. Online stalkers are web savvy and well equipped as well.

Many of them know how to disguise their identities and the computers they use. They also are fluent with many of the websites which are popular with children. How then can a parent fight these perverts? Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to guarantee Internet child safety no matter how vigilant a parent may be. There are ways though a parent can increase the odds in favor of his/her child.

The most important tool a parent has in the fight for Internet child safety is communication. All parents should discuss the dangers of being online with their children and it shouldn't be just a one time, one way conversation. Ask your children what they do online; discuss the general dangers as well as specific risks. Engage them in discussions of current Internet problems which may be in the news. Know what sites they visit and what computers they are accessing to visit those sites.

Make sure that your children know that they should never give out personal information to anyone on the Internet. They should also never post their personal information on any site, even popular networking sites. Drill into their heads that they never, ever agree to meet anyone that they have become acquainted with on the net. If a person is unwilling to come to your home and meet with your child in your presence then he/she is not a person with whom your child should have any contact.

There are also different ways in which you can monitor what comes into the computers which are in your home. Many internet service providers (ISP) offer parental controls which block access to certain sites based on prescribed guidelines. Some services also rate the content of different sites and allow an individual to block sites by rating. Another instrument to aid parents in providing Internet child safety are spam filters which weed out unwanted e-mail.

Have definite rules for using the computer and post them in a place clearly visible to a child who is online. Limiting computer time is also a good idea. A child should spend much more time outdoors and with friends than he/she does online.

The bottom line though is that Internet child safety is an ongoing process. A parent must constantly be on the look out for signs of unhealthy Internet contact. No matter how advanced a child's technical computer skills are, it may still be difficult for him/her to recognize predators that are misrepresenting themselves.