Online Predator
cALL 800-273-8255 or text "sos" to 741741 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's CyberTipline 800-843-5678
Predators 101: An
Introduction "People who do not believe that their children could ever become victimized online are living in an unrealistic world. Regardless of if your child makes 'As' or not, that child has the potential to become victimized through online technologies. I think it is very important for parents of all socioeconomic status and with all different roles in society to take this problem very seriously." —Melissa Morrow, Supervisory Special Agent, Child Exploitation Squad, FBI Child Sexual Abuse: Putting the Problem in Context Research indicates that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually victimized before adulthood; sadly, 30-40% of these victims are abused by a family member and 50% are abused by someone outside the family whom they know and trust. Although the majority of this child sexual abuse does not occur online, in the Internet age, offline sex abuse is fueled by pedophiles' unprecedented access to child pornography and exacerbated as perpetrators post pictures online of their exploits.1 (1) Center for Disease Control and Prevention & United States Department of Justice, National Institute of jUSTICE. Youth Prevalence and Implications, 2003. Click to download a free copy: Teens' social
secrets go deeper than parents think The concern: Every time I read the news, it feels like there's an article about some creep contacting a kid in a game. The facts:
The strategy: More than inspiring fear in our kids, we want to arm them with information. So when you talk to your kid, tell them there's a chance someone could approach them online to get personal information, exchange pictures, and/or meet in person, and it might be someone who feels like an online friend. It's not the norm, and it's not a reason to be afraid all the time. It's simply a reason to be aware and know that if someone starts asking for personal information or talking about sexual stuff, it's time to get help from an adult. The concern: I can't keep up with all of the media my kid is into, so I don't know what games and apps to keep my eye on. The facts:
The strategy: First, stay on top of what your kid is doing online by asking them which apps, games, and other tech they use. If they're on social media, friend or follow them. Set rules about times and places for device use -- for example, banning phones and tablets from bedrooms. Find out how they chat -- is it through an app or through their phone's SMS texting? (If they're using an app, it won't be easy for you to see it, so ask to do occasional spot checks.) Make rules around who they can chat with -- for instance, only people they know in real life. If your kid's a gamer, use these questions to probe deeper: Do you like multiplayer games -- and why? Do you chat with others while you're gaming? What's been your experience so far? What would you do if someone you didn't know contacted you? Help them set privacy settings to limit the contacts in their games. The concern: I don't even understand how this works -- does an adult pose as a kid, then ask to meet? The facts:
The strategy: We often tell kids not to talk to strangers or share personal information, but a kid's online relationships can feel just as real as their offline ones. So before they start chatting with anyone online, kids need to know some basic digital citizenship and online privacy information. For instance, kids should never share a phone number, address, or even last name with someone they've never met. Also, sharing sexy pictures or being overtly sexual online leaves an unwanted legacy, with or without creepy adults, so we need to teach kids about being mindful about their digital footprint. Plus, having nude pictures of a minor -- even if you are a minor -- is against the law and teens can get into legal trouble as a result. Finally, it's important to teach kids that if someone is asking a kid for sexy pictures or chat, that person is not a friend, no matter how cool or understanding they seem. The Concern: How would I even know if this is happening to my kid if they don't come out and tell me? The facts:
The strategy: The tricky part is that most tweens and teens withdraw and are sometimes secretive; it's part of their development. If, however, you notice these in the extreme, that's a concern -- no matter the reason. Spot checks on the devices your kid uses to monitor for sexy posts and pictures and knowing some lingo can help, but open communication -- without accusation or overreaction -- is usually the most effective. The concern: This already happened to my kid, and I don't know what to do next. The facts:
The strategy: First, don't
panic. Instead, gather evidence: Take screenshots, save
communications, and so on. Talk with your kid about the
details without making them feel like it's their fault or
that they're in trouble. Then report it to the platform or
service your kid is using, block the person, and find the
reporting features on other apps and games your kid uses
together. Finally, contact the police. Even though it may
seem like a one-time thing, that it's over, or you don't
want to make it a big deal, it's best to let the authorities
know in case the person is a known offender and to prevent
them from doing it to other kids. Online
Predators - Statistics
Sources: [i] Teen Internet
Use Demographics Online
with a Sexual Predator In a recent survey of young Internet users aged 10 to 17, one in five reported they had received unwanted sexual solicitations online, ranging from sexually suggestive comments to strangers asking them to meet them in the real world for sex. Nationwide, 4,500 cases were reported to police last year in which predators used chat rooms to prey on teenagers. But child advocates suspect the actual number is much higher, since most incidents are not reported to the authorities. A profile of a new kind of sexual predator is emerging: one who is technically savvy, targeting girls between 12 and 15 — especially vulnerable girls who write openly about their problems. "Small and lost like me" was one message the Massachusetts girl wrote. She said she wanted to run away from home. "Unfortunately, the predators can smell a child who is vulnerable, it's like chum to a shark," said Parry Aftab, director of Cyberangels, an Internet safety organization, and author of The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace. You Never Know Who You're Talking to Online The anonymity of the Internet has allowed predators to easily hide or misrepresent themselves. An online friendship can turn into a dangerous personal meeting. "Every single case that I'm aware of and the FBI is aware of, the children have gone willingly to a meeting," said Aftab. "It's very easy to get a child to go willingly when you understand how vulnerable they are." And why do they go? "They've become their friends and so they feel very comfortable giving out information they would normally not give out to strangers," said Ruben Rodriguez, director of the exploited child unit of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A 'Friend' Who Asks for Nude Pictures After a death in the family, Texas teenager Katy Glover found a friend in a chat room. They talked online for a year, chatting almost every day. Katy was 12 when she first met her friend, who said he was 16. "We kind of like became boyfriend and girlfriend, and eventually, he asked me to take naked pictures of myself," recalled Glover. He sent her a Polaroid camera, and she took some pictures and sent them. When her mother Shari found a letter referring to the pictures, she told the friend to stay away, but did not contact the police. "I did think about calling the police," said Shari. "The more I thought about it, the more I thought the police wouldn't know what to do. This was so new … I rationalized that they couldn't do anything." A year and a half later, Katy and her mother learned from Utah police that the "friend" was actually a middle-aged sexual predator who had been corresponding with a dozen other children as well. The man was eventually arrested and convicted. Katy is now a "Teenangel," a member of a group of 13-to-17-year-old volunteers trained by Aftab's Cyberangels to teach children, parents and lawmakers about Internet safety issues. Source: abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130735&page=1 |
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