Using Internet communication tools such as chat rooms, e-mail and instant
messaging can put children at risk of encountering online predators.
The anonymity of the Internet means that trust and intimacy can develop
quickly online. Predators take advantage of this anonymity to build
online relationships with inexperienced young people. Parents can help
protect their kids by becoming aware of the risks related to online
communication and being involved in their kids' Internet activities.
How do online predators work?
Predators establish contact with kids through conversations in chat
rooms, instant messaging, e-mail or discussion boards. Many teens use
"peer support" online forums to deal with their problems.
Predators, however, often go to these online areas to look for vulnerable
victims.
Online predators try to gradually seduce their targets through attention,
affection, kindness, and even gifts, and often devote considerable time,
money and energy to this effort. They are aware of the latest music
and hobbies likely to interest kids. They listen to and sympathize with
kids' problems. They also try to ease young people's inhibitions by
gradually introducing sexual content into their conversations or by
showing them sexually explicit material.
Some predators work faster than others, engaging in sexually explicit
conversations immediately. This more direct approach may include harassment
or stalking. Predators may also evaluate the kids they meet online for
future face-to-face contact.
Which young people are at risk?
Young adolescents are the most vulnerable age group and are at high
risk of being approached by online predators. They are exploring their
sexuality, moving away from parental control and looking for new relationships
outside the family. Under the guise of anonymity, they are more likely
to take risks online without fully understanding the possible implications.
Young people who are most vulnerable to online predators tend to be:
new to online activity and unfamiliar with "Netiquette"
actively seeking attention or affection
rebellious
isolated or lonely
curious
confused regarding sexual identity
easily tricked by adults
attracted by subcultures apart from their parents' world
Kids feel they are aware of the dangers of predators, but in reality
they are quite naive about online relationships. In focus groups conducted
by the Media Awareness Network, girls aged 11 to 14 initially said they
disguised their identities in chat rooms. They admitted, however, that
it was impossible to maintain a false identity for long and eventually
revealed personal information when they felt they could "trust
a person."
Building this "trust" took from 15 minutes to several weeks
- not a long time for a skillful predator to wait.
How can parents minimize the risk of a child
becoming a victim?
Get involved; talk to your kids about sexual predators and potential
online dangers.
Young children shouldn't use chat rooms, period - the dangers are
too great. As children get older, direct them towards well-monitored
kids' chat rooms. Even your teens should be encouraged to use monitored
chat rooms.
If your children take part in chat rooms, make sure you know which
ones they visit and with whom they talk. Monitor the chat areas yourself
to see what kind of conversations take place.
Instruct your children to never leave the chat room's public area.
Chat rooms offer users one-on-one chats with other users - so chat
monitors and other users can't read these conversations.
Keep the Internet-connected computer in a common area of the house,
never in a child's bedroom. It is much more difficult for a predator
to establish a relationship with your child if the computer screen
is easily visible.
When your children are young, they should share the family e-mail
address rather than have their own e-mail accounts. As they get older,
you can ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to set up a separate
e-mail address, but your children's mail can still reside in your
account.
Tell your children to never respond to instant messaging or e-mails
from strangers.
For places outside your supervision - public library, school, or
friends' homes - find out what computer safeguards are used.
Make sure you have rules about meeting Internet friends in person;
a parent must be told if a meeting is being planned and a parent should
be in attendance at the meeting. Rules do make a difference. Research
by the Media Awareness Network in 2005 shows having a rule about meeting
online acquaintances (which 74 per cent of households have) reduces
the likelihood of this happening by one-half.
If all precautions fail and your kids do meet an online predator,
don't blame them. The offender always bears full responsibility.
How can your kids reduce the risk of being
victimized?
There are a number of precautions to take, including:
never downloading images from an unknown source - they could be
sexually explicit
telling an adult immediately if anything happens online that makes
them feel uncomfortable or frightened
choosing a gender-neutral screen name that doesn't contain sexually
suggestive words or reveal personal information
never revealing personal information (including age and gender)
to anyone online and not filling out online personal profiles
How can you tell if your child is being
targeted?
It is possible that your child is the target of an online predator
if:
Your child or teen spends a great deal of time online Most children
who are victims of online predators spend a lot of time online, particularly
in chat rooms.
You find pornography on the family computer Predators often use
pornography to sexually victimize children - supplying it to open
sexual discussions with potential victims. Predators may use child
pornography to convince a child that adults having sex with children
is "normal." You should be aware that your child may hide
pornographic files on diskettes, especially if other family members
use the computer.
Your child or teen receives phone calls from people you don't know;
or makes calls (sometimes long distance) to numbers you don't recognize
Online predators may try to contact young people to engage in "phone
sex," or to try to set up a real-world meeting. If kids hesitate
giving out their home phone number, online sex offenders will provide
theirs. Some even have toll-free 1-800 numbers, so potential victims
can call them without their parents' knowledge. Others will tell children
to call collect - and then, with Caller ID or Call Display, they can
easily determine the phone number.
Your child or teen receives mail, gifts or packages from someone
you don't know It is common for offenders to send letters, photographs
and gifts to potential victims. Computer sex offenders even send airline
tickets to entice a child or teen to meet them.
Your child or teen withdraws from family and friends; or quickly
turns the computer monitor off or changes the screen if an adult enters
the room Online predators work hard to drive wedges between kids and
their families, often exaggerating minor problems at home. Sexually
victimized children tend to become withdrawn and depressed.
Your child is using someone else's online account Even kids who
don't have access to the Internet at home may meet an offender while
online at a friend's house or the library. Predators sometimes provide
victims with a computer account so they can communicate.
What can you do if your child is being
targeted?
If your child receives sexually explicit images from an online
correspondent, or if she or he is solicited sexually, contact your
local police. You can also report incidents to the Cybertip! hotline
at http://www.cybertip.ca.
For more information, see the Reporting Trouble section of our Web
site.
Check your computer for pornographic files or any type of sexual
communication - these are often warning signs
Monitor your child's access to all live electronic communications,
such as chat rooms, instant messages and e-mail. Online predators
usually meet potential victims in chat rooms at first, and then continue
communicating with them through e-mail.
