Facebook and your teens - Helpful hints to keep them safe.

A convicted criminal, now out of prison, wanders around the home of the detective who arrested him years earlier. As the criminal turns, he comes face to face with the detective. The detective says, "Before I take you to the hospital after you seriously injure yourself, you'd better tell me how you found where I live.'' The man replied, ''Your daughters are on Facebook.''

Whether we like it or not, there are people out there who are interested in hurting us and our children. There is no reason why we should knowingly leave our kids (or ourselves) unprotected. Facebook is a great social network with many benefits. To reap the benefits and keep out the potential of pain, please take the time to find out how Facebook works and set up all security options available. It's not hard, and it will definitely be worth it!

Age Requirements - First, you need to know the age requirement for setting up a facebook account for your children. They must be 13 years or older. If they are, then you should follow several steps to set up their account.

Security Settings - The biggest areas of concern are the security settings. You've got to be thorough in areas of Profiles, Photos, and Searches. You have options for each area and you want to consider what information about your teen you want available for people to see and which people are able to see that information. The "Only Friends" & "No One" option are always the most secure choice.

Posting To A Wall - Know the ins and outs about posting not only on their account, but also to someone else's wall. What your teen posts to others can be see by their friend AND all of their friends' friends. Consider that when choosing their security settings.

Hiding From Google - Don't forget to set your security in the area of Searches. This is the place to guard who can contact your teen from the outside.

Facebook May Be A Form Of Eternal Life - One last thing to consider: What goes on facebook remains there. You can deactivate your account, but it never goes away. More and more employers check potential employees' facebook accounts. What your teen puts on their account now could affect them in the future.

School Is Not The Only Place For Security - Research shows that most parents have no security set up on their teen's account. It's up to you and your teen to have a good understanding of how facebook works so the experience stays secure and positive.

If you would like a step-by-step tutorial to walk you through setting up your teen's account, go to: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Something to chew on:
Half of all 8 to 17-year-old Internet users - about 4 million people - have a personal profile. This compares with 22 percent of adults.

Statistics show that 59 percent of children who use networking sites do so to make new friends.

One 15-year-old girl said: "I am single and it is nice to get the attention of men. Some of the photos I post are a bit racy, but really they aren't meant to be that serious and a bit of a giggle."

A 34-year-old mother said: "I had no idea the whole of Facebook could see my little girl in the bath."

A spokesman for the police's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre said: "Where children go, sex offenders will follow. The first step is getting parents to acknowledge and understand that risk."

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