Parent-Child Internet Agreement
Author: Colin Gabriel Hatcher

The Kid's Agreement

I, ________________________________________ agree to the following rules for using the internet:

1) I will not hide things that I am doing online from my parents.

2) I will never give out my full name, my home address or telephone number, or my school name, to anyone online without my parent's permission

3) My parents and I are a team. If I have a problem with the internet I will share it with them and ask for their help.

4) Even though I am using the internet I will continue to spend time with school friends outdoors, and will not abandon school and other offline social events.

5) I agree that schoolwork comes first, before the internet.

6) Sometimes I might need to say NO to a suggestion from someone online. I will do so politely.

7) I understand that I can never know whether the people I meet online are who they say they are. I will therefore be careful when chatting online.

8) I will never try to meet someone from online without my parent's knowledge and permission.

9) I will treat others online as I would like to be treated. I will not become a troublemaker or a bully online.

10) I understand that I am not responsible for what other people say and do on the internet, therefore if someone says or does something that makes me feel upset or disturbed, I will tell my parents. I will not respond to any messages that make me feel upset, angry or scared.

11) I will never open email from strangers. Instead, I will ask my parents to check it first. I will also never accept a picture or a file from a person online nor send a picture of me or a file to them without asking my parents' permission first, even if it is my online friends.

12) I will follow my parents' rules for being online, including how long I can be online, where I can go and what I can do.

The Parents' Agreement

I, ________________________________________ agree to the following rules for using the internet:

1) I will set my child reasonable rules and guidelines for using the internet, and I will explain my reasons to my child. I will set reasonable and logical consequences for breaking my rules.

2) I will learn how to use the computer and the internet so that I understand what my child is doing, and so I know what I am talking about when I advise my child.

3) I will not become so preoccupied with the internet myself as to not spend time with my child.

4) I will not use the internet as a substitute for me spending time with my child. I understand that the computer is not a babysitter.

5) I will consider the friends my child makes online to be friends just as those they have offline and I will encourage my child to talk to me about their friends and what they are doing with them online.

6) If my child has a problem concerning the internet I encourage them to tell me about it and I will help them solve it, just as I would help with a problem at school.

7) I will not automatically blame my child for things that happen to them online that are not their doing. I understand that my child is not responsible for the words or actions of people they interact with online.

8) No matter what happens to my child online and even if they break my rules I will not permanently ban the internet. I recognize that skill with the internet is essential to my child's future.

Parent's Signature: __________________________________________

Parent's Signature: __________________________________________

Kid's Signature: ____________________________________________








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Englishman Colin Gabriel Hatcher, a Silicon Valley California attorney and lifelong volunteer youth worker, is the innovative mastermind behind SafetyEd International With 21 years experience in education, 12 years experience as a Martial Arts Instructor (he holds 5 black belts), 11 years of computer experience, and over 7 years working in internet related safety, child protection and child advocacy, Colin is an accomplished expert researcher and writer in the internet field, as well as being an expert in internet and cyberspace law.

Safety Ed International http://www.safetyed.org You can contact Colin by email at colinhatcher@safetyed.org

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