Article
Avoid Being a Victim!
Step 1: Know Who They're Looking For
Think an internet predator wouldn't target the most popular girl in school? Or maybe you think he'd never go after the ugly duckling. But here's the truth ... internet sexual predators are looking for certain types of teens ... the ones who are more likely to believe them ... the ones that are less likely to talk to their friends about their new relationship. Here are three characteristics that a predator might target:
- Loners.
These kids are easier prey, since it's less likely they'll talk about the emails or IMs with their friends, and they are more susceptible to someone trying to befriend them. They're lonely, and the predator poses as a much-needed friend.
- Teens who are having problems at home.
These poor kids are just looking for a sympathetic ear. The predator tries to win them over by further separating them from their friends and family, complaining about “friends who don’t understand” and "parents," in particular. Teens from broken homes are the common culprits.
- Teens who are engaging in high risk online activities.
Always watch out for those risk takers! A predator may seek them out in sexually-themed chatrooms, networks, groups or message boards. They may surf the networks and blog sites, looking for young people who are boasting about their sexual desires or other adult activities, such as drinking. They may look for kids who admit to taking drugs or visiting pornography websites, offering them more of the same. The more an Internet sexual predator can find the right lure for a young person (like porn, alcohol and gambling) or a way to blackmail them into providing sexual favors to prevent being reported to their parents or the authorities, the faster they can work. Sometimes they use blackmail to make teens do things on their webcams or even in person. They threaten to tell their victim’s parents about the other things they are doing.
Step 2: Know How They Lure You
A sexual predator is a sexual predator. And internet sexual predators are not that different from offline sexual predators. They use the same slimy methods for luring you in. These include:
- Asking for help
- Offering you a job or a modeling opportunity
- Blackmailing you
- Offering to give you gifts
- Including you in fun activities
- Peaking your curiosity
- Posing as a tween or teen
- Acting as a friend or confidant
- Making you feel loved and treasured
Step 3: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself
- Go into "private practice."
Keep your personal information personal ... and private! You might think that mentioning your favorite food or your favorite rock group on your profile is harmless. But predators have been known to store information like this -- someone's likes and dislikes, their parents' divorce, their annoying sibling, etc... The more the predator knows about someone, the more easily they can “groom” them or appear to be their soulmate. Think “pina coladas and walks in the rain.” The more they know how to push your buttons, the easier pickings you are!
- Surf safely.
Sure, you should try to avoid the typical predator ploys (offering you a job, asking for help), but the ones who pose as teens are harder to spot. There, we have to rely on the safe surfing rule. Don't chat with strangers (or at least don’t tell them anything you wouldn’t tell a stranger on the street). Keep your guard up. And use your head ... if someone seems fishy, break off contact with them. Block them. Better safe than sorry.
- And most important ... Never meet a stranger off the Internet without a trusted adult or lots of friends in attendance (preferably sumo-wrestlers!). That's just common sense!