Keep Your Kids Safe On The Internet

Publishers Weekly

Johnson cofounded one of Australia's first IT companies and is an expert on Internet security. When he became a father in 2002, he realized his young daughter would soon be tooling around online and would inevitably encounter inappropriate spam messages, among other hazards. He promptly founded an information Web site for parents to keep their kids safe online, which then begot this comprehensive guide. The Web is still a "wild, undiscovered, and unregulated frontier," Johnson says, a tool pedophiles use to look for victims. Nearly 90% of kids encounter pornography online while doing their homework, he warns. The good news is parents can take steps to protect their children so they may safely and effectively use the Internet, which Johnson presents-in spite of the dangers-as essential for contemporary learning. Most importantly, Johnson asserts, parents should educate their children (e.g., tell them not to give out personal information online), monitor computer use (place the computer in a shared place, not in a child's bedroom) and buy computer software to filter and protect. He suggests five programs that parents should install and walks readers through individual products, explaining the pros and cons and making recommendations. Rather than offering a diatribe on the dangers of the Web, Johnson offers a practical, well-researched guide to help parents minimize the Web's potential drawbacks. (Aug. 19) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

These two books aim to educate parents about sexual predators. Johnson, a leading expert on children's safety, focuses on keeping children away from pedophiles lurking online. Owing to his intended audience-parents/caregivers with little computer knowledge-he provides a lot of screen shots to clarify concepts and terms. After running through the basics of the Internet, Johnson goes into detail about the threats posed by people intending to harm children on the Internet and ways to reduce the risks. He then offers a detailed examination and comparison of the software available to protect children online. Parents, who can find this topic scary and overwhelming, will be empowered by Johnson's manageable guidebook. A welcome addition to public libraries. Goldenflame, a recovering sex offender, offers an eyeopening examination of his life and inner struggle through rehabilitation. The book is not, as the subtitle suggests, a quick reference for parents/caregivers looking to protect their children from sexual predators. Instead, it is a memoir sprinkled with the odd tip; though suggestions are helpfully consolidated at the end, this is essentially Goldenflame's personal story, with telling anecdotes that could benefit fellow recovering sex offenders. Recommended for larger memoir/recovery collections.-Kari Ramstrom, MLIS, Plymouth, MN Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.