Gina Davis of Richmond, Va., has laid down the ground rules for her two teenage boys: Chat rooms are forbidden, and instant messenger friends must be people they know in person, not just in cyberspace. The boys have MySpace profiles, and Davis has talked with them at length about the risks of social networking sites. Although she's said her piece, Davis knows that for reasons of practicality and respect, she can't monitor every single thing they do online.

Like many aspects of good parenting, there's nothing easy about impressing upon kids the dangers of child preda- tors. "I try to balance their privacy versus my need to know what they're doing," Davis says.

Even the best-intentioned parents may find it awkward to talk with their children about the subject, but it's in those discussions where the most progress can be made. Sites designed to teach parents how to talk to kids about online safety dot the Web, including WiredSafety.org and NetSmartz.org.

Kids who are loners or have a history of behavioral problems are most in danger of falling into a predator's trap. Parents also must pay attention to how much time their kids spend online. Parry Aftab, who runs WiredSafety, recommends that parents insist kids' social site profiles be protected by "private" settings.

Michelle Collins, a unit director at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, adds that kids should never reveal personally identifiable information like full names, addresses, and phone numbers. Kids should be careful about photographs and compositions they post. If it's something they suspect would embarrass family or friends, don't post it.

Sound obvious? Many profiles at MySpace show that either parents aren't giving this advice, or if they are, they're not following up to see if their kids are listening.

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