How can I block access of my 14 year old son to predatory web sites?

Question

My 14 year old son used to be mostly A and B student, but recently his grades in science class sharply deteriorated. The teacher says that he apparently cheats on his homework, his solutions are inconsistant with what was taught in the classroom and he cannot explain them.

The teacher says that there are websites on the Internet which lure in the teens by helping them to cheat on their homework, and making money by advertizing to them video games and iPods and such.

I do not want my son to become top performer in video games, I want him to go to college. Can you please tell me what are those predatory websites and what can I do about this? I am very concerned.

Answer 1

You should be able to block access to those sites right from your computer. However, I'm not sure how. But you can buy this software (Family Cyber Sitter) at Staples or Covenant Eyes off the web (www.covenanteyes.com). It monitors what sites your son is going on and he simply can't lie about it because you get sent a report of all the sites that are visited on the computer.

With Family Cyber Sitter you might be able to block those sites. Good luck.

Answer 2

You mean like Yahoo! Answers?

Lots of kids come here to cheat....

Or maybe..... Google?

My favorite is my daughter's school does not let them use Wiki because you can write your own data, cite it, and then use it as proof for research.

If your son is being taught in class, then he should not need the computer to do his homework.    If however he is not being taught properly in class, he then uses his computer to find solutions for problems he does not understand, and the teacher uses this as a smoke screen to cover for the inability to teach.  I have been in both places, and the only way to get to the root of the problem is to sit down with your child and do homework with them.

Answer 3

Use the parental controls, and don't let him use the computer?

Answer 4

start

control panel

internet options

security.

then click the tabs that says "sites" you can make it so he can only visit approved sites, otherwise he has to have a password.

Answer 5

I know that there are controls on my comp and I have them on med/low but they can be turned up meaning it will be at the highest level of security. Or make the comp available only after HW is done or while you watch to see what he looks up. Also all websites are stored in the cookies so if you want to block certain sites with out him knowing just call a computer tech and he can probably pull the entire history. Sad to say he may just use another comp like at a friends or school, this is why theese sites are falsely represented, so they can be viewed at school. You could then try talking to the princapal. Or just explaining to your son that cheating is wrong and tell him why.

Answer 6

parental controls sometimes cannot work, the best thing to do is to buy a program that filters sites (you can either look for programs that do this 'filter website programs' in the web) or go to places on the mall that sell software

furthermore place this computer somewhere that you can monitor it (like the living room) if the pc is in his room take it out [if he argues just tell him that is either in the living room or no pc and eventually he will stop being upset]

also i guess you could not having use it while you are not around (like sleeping,ect) just hide the keyboard

Answer 7

I think there is some kind of software that you can buy, like WebNanny or something, that you can install to block certain websites.  Or you can block certain search terms.   Scroll down and look at the history of the websites he's been at, then you can block those websites.

You could also take the computer out of his room or out of a private place, so he can only use it while others are able to view what he is doing.

Answer 8

put you parental ocntrols on so he cant go  on sites like that