Online gaming: Help kids play it safe

• Educate yourself. Become familiar with game ratings and privacy statements, and review each online gaming site's terms of acceptable use.
  See the Xbox Live code of conduct page as an example.
• Observe. Check out the games your children play and with whom they play. Put the computer or game console in a location where you can monitor activity.
• Establish rules. Do this before your child starts to play the game, and be certain that he or she understands the rules.
  Typical rules include play time limits, play with friends only, and never chat with strangers or give out any personal information.
  For ideas about how to set up house rules, read Sample family contract for Internet house rules .
• Monitor game chats and messages. If a player uses offensive language, encourage your child to tell you.
  You might be able to select the offending player's name from the players list to mute or block their messages, or you can report them to game administrators using e-mail, chat, or feedback. Check the game site in question for more information.
• Help ensure privacy. Advise your kids never to give out any personal information (for example, name, age, gender, or home address), pictures of themselves, or agree to meet someone in person, when using online chats.
  Make sure they know to tell you immediately if someone asks them for this information.
• Use voice chat wisely. Some game systems allow voice chatting with other players through the use of a headset. (This is not recommended for younger children.)
  See your computer or game console manual for more information about this feature.
  Note: Voice masking or cloaking technology that can disguise a child's real voice is now available for computers and most game consoles, such as Microsoft Xbox. Note that adults can mask their voice, too, however, and not everyone is necessarily who they say they are.
• Choose appropriate names. Have your child use a suitable screen or character name (also called gamertags) that follows the rules of the game site. These names should not reveal any personal information or potentially invite harassment.
• Be aware of cyberbullies. Learn how to deal with bullies, also known as griefers, in online games.
• Teach your kids safe habits. Tell your kids that if they feel uncomfortable with anything that's going on in a game, they should stop playing and tell you about it immediately, so you can record and report the issue if necessary.
• Participate. A safe way for your kids to play online games is if you play with them. This might not be what they want to do, especially if they're older kids, but it's a good way to teach how to deal with others online while still having fun.

Kids might find gambling sites when they search for video game sites. While most games and activities are legal for minors, gambling is not.
The main difference between video game sites and gambling sites is that gambling sites usually involve winning or losing money.

1. Decide what types of games or game sites are appropriate for children.
2. Remind your kids that it is illegal for them to gamble online. (Many countries prohibit gambling by minors.)
3. Help your kids understand how gambling works. Online gambling operations are in business to make a profit. They take in more money than they pay out.
4. Make sure your kids always ask permission before they use your credit card number online. Online gambling generally requires the use of a credit card. If kids accrue debts online, they could ruin your credit rating and affect their own credit rating.
5. Explain that online gambling can be addictive. People can gamble uninterrupted and undetected for hours at a time. Gambling in isolation with credit may lead to addictive gambling patterns.
6. Investigate parental control software such as Windows Live Family Safety or the Parental Controls included in the Windows Vista operating system.