In keeping your teen safe

Luckily, there are ways to guide your teen in the right direction. Many gadgets, websites, and apps have parental controls and privacy settings that can make them safer or more age-appropriate for teen users. However, nothing can replace the positive impact of open and honest conversation between parents and teens. Take a look below for some useful tips on how to set parental controls and how to have conversations with your teens about responsible technology use.

April Fulton. Parents of teens know how tricky it is to keep their kids physically safe while balancing their need for greater independence, but when it comes to keeping them safe online, it can be even trickier. Horror stories of social media harassment and exposure to explicit content leading to teen suicide or even murder abound. With 91 percent of U.

The holiday season is upon us, in full swing — with all of its candles and lights, connecting with family and friends, eating and drinking, gift-giving, celebrating, and of course partying. It is also a time when your teenagers will be out of school and facing much less structure and supervision. School breaks typically mean lots of freedom and time spent socializing with friends, not to mention the increased access to alcohol that comes with the parties. Many work hard to find positive activities for their teens during the holiday break from school. But even so, a lot of teens are left seeking something to do with the idle time in between.

Your year-old son seems like a typical teenager: goes to movies, plays video games, breaks curfew. How can you reduce the likelihood that he will commit violence? Forbid him from seeing R-rated movies. Not quite, but you're on the right track. While there may be some merit in not letting him see R-rated movies, your son may have access to violence in other forms, such as video games and late night TV shows.