Cell Phones and Children: Using a Reverse Cell Phone Directory for Safety

In today�s world, cell phone is a necessity for safety � but can also pose a threat to vulnerable users, such as children. If your child has a cell phone, then it would be wise to take precautionary measures for safe cell phone use, such as signing up to a reverse cell phone directory or installing monitoring apps.

Cell phones represent a bigger danger simply because their use is so much harder to monitor. Not only can your children use the cell phone out of your supervision, people can also target your children on their cell phones. These people, whether predators or sales people, are hard to track. There currently is no unified cell phone directory as with landline phones. If someone calls, the cell phone number is much harder to trace.

In most cases, your child will probably just be getting calls from family and friends. But cell phone numbers do find their way onto lists, such as for advertising. Kids may give out their cell phone numbers not realizing the consequences, such as when they fill out a form online. Once the cell phone number gets put into a database, it can easily be accessed by hackers or anyone who purchases access. You should tell your children to never answer the phone for unrecognized numbers. If the call is important, then the caller will leave a message. As a parent, you should sign up to a reverse cell phone directory to see who is calling your child.

Reverse cell phone directories have information which is compiled by independent groups � not the yellow and white pages. These cell phone directories for mobile phones have access to information which most people and businesses can�t get. Even if a person requests that his phone number remain unlisted in the white pages, it will still make it onto the reverse phone directory. There is a lot of controversy about the privacy ethics of reverse cell phone directories but most parents will understand the benefit of these systems.

With older or trouble children, it may be necessary to check whether the names listed on the child�s cell phone really match up. For example, one mother found out that �Stacy� in her daughter�s phone was actually the number for the older boyfriend she had been forbidden to see or talk to.

A reverse cell phone directory can only help keep your children safe if you have numbers to check. Since calls can be so easily deleted in cell phones, it may be necessary to install a monitoring application in your child�s phone. These applications are available for most newer phones, like Blackberry, iPhones and Android based phones. Some of these applications cost money and just about all reputable reverse cell phone directories will also charge a fee. However, most parents with at-risk children will agree that these prices are worth it for the safety that they enable.