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Guide to Setting Up a Cyber Contract with Your Children

Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day, a day in which the cyber community joins together to help make the Internet a safer and better place for all, especially children and young people. From cyberbullying to social media, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging cyber safety issues and a variety of current parental concerns.

Children are some of the most vulnerable people as they tend to be more naive of the dangers that threaten them. You not only need to keep your kids safe at home and on the playground, but also online. Making sure your young ones are protected on the Internet requires forethought, communication and education. One of the best ways to put this protection in place is with a cyber contract.

Why a Cyber Contract is a Good Idea

When you set clear expectations and boundaries, you help your children learn how to be responsible online and accountable for their actions. You also help keep them safe from online dangers and predators. These are some of the things kids can fall prey to online:

How to Set Up a Cyber Contract

Start setting up a cyber contract by explaining how your family’s values apply to the digital world. Provide information about what a contract is and the consequences of violating such an agreement. Because you want this contract to make a real difference, include your children in the process as much as possible.

When children give input into the contract, they have a more vested interest in upholding it. In addition, this gives you the opportunity to learn what they already know about Internet dangers and what online behaviors they see as threatening or disruptive to their offline life and relationships.

What to Include in Your Cyber Contract

When you set up your cyber contract, include comprehensive information about what type of digital behavior is expected from all family members. You can follow a cyber contract template, or create your own contract by covering the information below.

Once you establish the elements of the cyber contract, make sure everyone understands each section and have all family members sign it. Keep the contract posted near the computer for easy reference and set up a schedule to review it, making any necessary revisions or updates.

How to Hold Kids Accountable for Their Online Behavior

Drawing up a comprehensive cyber contract is just the first step to protecting your children online. The next thing you need to do is make sure everyone abides by it. While there is no magic solution to holding kids accountable, there are things you can do to keep them on the right track.

In addition to these practices, you may also want to use parental control software or an online monitoring app, like Intego ContentBarrier or Family Protector. These programs help you keep track of what your child does online without standing over their shoulder. Let your kids know if you’re using a monitoring app and explain that it’s for their safety—not to spy on them or catch them misbehaving.

Protecting children from danger is one of the most important jobs you have as a parent, and the Internet has expanded the number of threats they can be exposed to. However, you can take your children by the hand online with a thoughtful cyber contract that includes clear boundaries and explicit rewards and consequences. Use this guide and start drafting your family’s agreement today.

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