E-mail stands for electronic mail, which—unlike regular mail—is almost instantaneous, no matter how far apart the correspondents are.

E-mail allows kids to:

• Keep in touch with family and friends
  
• Make pen pals all around the world
  
• Get homework help from classmates or teachers
  
• Establish mentoring relationships

However, e-mail can also open the door to a number of risks:

• Your kids may receive unwanted computer junk mail, known as "spam." Pornographic spam is a common problem for e-mail users, especially when using free Web-based e-mail services such as Yahoo! or Hotmail.
  
  
• If a stranger gets hold of a child's e-mail address (perhaps through a chat room, a newsgroup posting or a Web site), the child could be sent harassing or intimidating messages—even pornography.
  
  
• Such strangers sometimes try to befriend kids via e-mail, alienate them from their families and friends, and even pressure them into a real-world meeting. This is called cyberstalking, and it's the online equivalent of real-world stalking.

Safety guidelines for e-mail

Teach your kids to protect their e-mail address
They should never reveal their address on a Web site, in chat rooms or in a personal profile (a detailed description of themselves that users are often asked to provide when joining a chat room or instant messaging list).

If your child has a Web-based e-mail account such as Hotmail or Yahoo!, there are simple ways to protect their e-mail address during the registration process. For example, Hotmail automatically signs users up for two directory services, and your address may be sold to spammers. To prevent this, just go to the bottom of the registration page and unclick the boxes beside the "Services" heading.

The Yahoo! service also automatically signs users up to receive promotional material. Its registration page asks users to choose their interests from a list—and spammers can use this information to target specific individuals. (For more information on protecting your privacy when registering for e-mail or instant messaging, see Filling Out Online Registration Forms.)

Create a "dummy" e-mail address for your kids
If your kids have to give an e-mail address, consider setting up a dummy Hotmail address that they give out for online registrations and on Web sites. This will help to protect their regular address from spammers.

Tell your children never to open or respond to unsolicited e-mail
Kids should never reply to e-mail from strangers or open attachments or links that come in unsolicited e-mail. They should also never send unwanted e-mail back to the sender, even just to respond to an invitation to "unsubscribe"—all that does is tell the sender that the email address is valid. (The return address for junk e-mail is usually fake, anyway.) If kids receive a message that makes them uncomfortable, they should always tell an adult immediately.

Forward any offensive or illegal e-mail to your Internet Service Provider or the police
If kids receive unwanted e-mail or "spam," (junk mail) your ISP may be able to help you by blocking or filtering it. More serious offensive e-mail—anything containing illegal material such as threats, or child pornography—should be reported to your local police. (For more help, see Reporting Illegal or Offensive Content.)

Take advantage of e-mail filters
Most e-mail programs, even Web-based accounts such as Hotmail, have filters that allow you to block messages from particular people, or that contain specific words or phrases. These filters can help reduce spam of various kinds.

Remind your kids that e-mail isn't private
E-mail is the electronic equivalent of a postcard, not a sealed letter—anyone with basic hacking skills can read other people's e-mail.

Know your kids' cyber-friends
Talk with your kids about their e-mail friends as you would about their real-world friends. That way, you're more likely to spot "stranger danger."

Consider shared accounts for younger children
Young children should share the family e-mail address rather than have their own accounts. As they get older and want more independence, you can give them their own address—but the mail can still reside in your account, so you can ask about any suspicious-looking mail they may get. Talk to your ISP about what options it offers for family e-mail. As well, many commercial kids' sites offer free filtered e-mail accounts.

Encourage responsible behaviour in older kids
If older kids want their own e-mail accounts, they'll have no trouble getting them through free services such as Hotmail or Yahoo!. Your best strategy is to keep the lines of communication open, and encourage responsible and safe online behaviour.

Use the resources on the right sidebar to learn how to reduce the risks associated with e-mail.