Change settings. Know that you can help protect your kids a lot by simply having them set their profiles to “private” so only their friends can see them. Also consider having your kids change their privacy and profile settings to add more safe boundaries.

Work with your kids to delete whatever is troubling you. Talk with your kids about why you’d like them to delete certain information, images, online friends, or groups from their MySpace pages. Don’t just demand that they remove it; help them understand the reasons why, and work together to make changes to their pages. Remember that this approach will help them build the critical thinking skills they’ll need to make wise decisions online after they grow up and leave your house.

Use Internet filters. Install a software package that will filter the types of Internet content your kids can access and help you monitor their activities online.

Get support from online safety groups. Check out groups like Wiredsafety.org (the world’s largest online safety group), Blogsafety.com (a form where parents and experts can talk about safe blogging and social networking) and Familywatchdog.us (a site that provides maps and locations of registered sex offenders in your area).

Encourage your kids to invest in real-world relationships. Make sure that your kids aren’t spending so much time in cyberspace that they’re neglecting their face-to-face relationships with friends in the real world. Give them plenty of creative and productive activities to engage in so they don’t have idle hands, unexercised minds, and uncommitted hearts – which make them more likely to get into trouble online. Encourage your kids to keep growing in how they love God and other people in the real world, so when they get online they can positively influence others rather than having others negatively influence them.

Jason Illian was named one of the top 20 students in America by USA Today. His role on ABC’s The Bachelorette has opened doors for him to speak across the country on abstinence, transformational leadership, and faith. He has also written Undressed: The Naked Truth about Love, Sex, and Dating, published by Time Warner.