There's no doubt about it - the Internet is a dangerous place, especially for children.

Cyber bullies and online sexual predators seem to make the news every other day, often preying on naive or unsuspecting kids who don't realize who they're "chatting" with until it's too late.

That's why parental control software is as popular, and important, as it is.

In the battle to maintain Internet safety for kids, this type of computer monitoring offers concerned moms and dads perhaps the quickest and most effective means of protecting their children.

Computer monitoring software in general is software that is purchased and installed on a computer with the express intent of recording what happens on that computer.

Parental control software is a form or genre of computer monitoring software that is specifically designed to monitor the doings of kids, and to offer parents and caregivers tools designed to minimize underage exposure to dangerous or inappropriate people or materials.

Parents often cite the purchase of parental controls as a means of keeping pornographic images, violent images or games, and other inappropriate materials away from their children when they log-on.

And in terms of Internet safety, parental controls can help parents make sure that dangerous people aren't attempting to contact their children online.

The types of tools designed for parental control software vary, but for the most part the goal is to accomplish the same things.

Important Parental Control Software Features

Website monitoring

Helps parents know what their kids are looking at online. This can also include a special focus on social monitoring sites like MySpace and Facebook, and/or search history logs.

Website blocking

Keeps inappropriate materials away from kids who are surfing the net. This includes text, images, and even videos.

Keylogging software

Records keystrokes typed in any program, regardless of whether it's online or offline. Key logging can often show things done in a website that might otherwise look completely innocent.

Instant message recording

Shows parents who their child is communicating with, and to put a stop to it if their child's online "friend" jeopardizes Internet safety, and/or physical safety.

Email and attachment recording

Ensures that dangerous people aren't attempting to contact your child, or sending them inappropriate materials.

Stealth monitoring

Allows invisible computer monitoring to reveal true online behavior.

Getting Online Safety with Parental Control Software

High quality parental control programs feature extra tools like a keylogger, screenshots, computer usage limits, and remote monitoring to help parents maintain Internet safety, and to make their job a little easier.

For computer monitoring software that accomplishes these goals and offers the best tools available today, we recommend programs like SpyAgent, eBlaster, and our favorite, WebWatcher.

For more information on securing your computer and keeping your kids safe online, have a look at our parental control software reviews.