Q&A
Parry Aftab's Q & A
Q
What's the difference between online predators and offline predators?
A
The biggest difference between online and offline ploys is the anonymity factor. You never know who you are talking with online. You may think they are a cute 14 year old boy, but they may not be cute, may not be 14 and may not be a boy! It’s hard for a 50-year-old to pose as a 10 year old in real life. But it’s easy online.
Perhaps the second biggest difference is the physical danger. Online no one can yet reach through your computer, cell phone or gaming device and pull you through. They can’t grab you, physically restrain you or hit you. They have to rely entirely on winning you over. They have to convince you to agree to meet them offline, or agree to take pics or “cyber.” They have to get you to do things willingly, or you’re outta there!
This usually takes time. They have to wine and dine you, and get you to want to meet them. And many are very good at this. It can take up to a year to convince a teen to meet them offline. Or, it can be the same day! Some teens broadcast their vulnerabilities. They talk about being angry with their parents, about their parents getting a divorce, about wanting to buy something and not being able to afford it, about wanting to travel to someplace, or do something, or being treated like a baby and being unappreciated.
Also, some teens are looking for thrills and willingly engage in risky behavior with Internet sexual predators. They think they understand the risks and can handle them. At least one thirteen year old was murdered by someone she thought she could handle.
Common sense works well in real life, when something just feels weird, or the person doesn’t appear to be what he says he is. But online, it’s easier to masquerade as someone else entirely. Common sense requires some tweaking to become cybersense. Things that seem innocent might be the clue a predator is looking for to get into your inner circle. Being a friend of a friend makes them more likely to be your friend too.
Online Safety Expert - Parry Aftab
Parry Aftab, an Internet Privacy and Security Lawyer, works closely with our Online
Safety Teen Editors and tells us what’s behind – and how we can overcome – the challenges
of the internet. She’ll provide step-by-step guidance to help you navigate your way to
internet safety.