A parent defines friend rules for on-line association with their child. Upon a request of an on-line stranger to be a new friend of the child, stranger information about the on-line stranger is retrieved and compared to the friend rules to determine whether the stranger is allowed, blocked or restricted from being a friend with the child. Accordingly, the parent only has to use a minimal amount of time in establishing the friend rules to protect the parent's child from on-line strangers.