When parents think of online safety for their kids, they don't always think of online video games.

After all, online games are a relatively new phenomenon, and most parental control software is designed to monitor Internet use and block websites, but not always to block games.

But the truth is that it's very important for parents today to know how to block games online.

It's scary, but many online sexual predators specifically target kids playing online games, since they know that kids will be present at such sites.

And, since many of these games include a "chat" function, or something similar where players converse with one another, it's very easy for kids to make friends with someone they think is their age, or who they think is a nice person.

In reality, this new "friend" could easily be a predator waiting for your child to slip up and mention where he or she lives or goes to school.

Yet another reason parents might want to block games online could include the incredible amounts of violence, and even sexual imagery, found in Internet games today.

With fewer restrictions than store bought games, and easy-to-download instructions, these types of games are easy to access and often feature images that parents find shocking and disturbing.

And of course, sometimes it's a good idea to block games when your child should be studying or using the computer for other purposes.

Just be sure to use good quality parental control software that features a specific means of blocking games if you choose to do so.

Kids who spend a lot of time online will find it easy to disable the simpler blocks available on your Internet browser, or even in the less sophisticated parental controls.

We suggestt CyberPatrol, Net Nanny, and our number one pick, WebWatcher.