Chat rooms, email, and instant messaging put children and teens at risk of running into online sexual predators. In the online world, kids develop a sense of anonymity, which leads them to develop trust and confidence quickly with other online members. Sexual predators prey upon these children by developing online relationships designed to lead to inappropriate discussions and meetings.
According to many of the online "watch organizations," online predators are real and must be addressed:
- One in five children who use computer chat rooms have been approached over the Internet by a pedophile. (i-Safe Inc)
- One in seven kids who use the Internet have been solicited for sex online. (Crime Against Children Research Center)
- Law enforcement officials estimate that as many as 50,000 sexual predators are online at any given moment. (Dateline, January 2006)
ONLINE RESOURCES
- Help Delete Online Predators
Learn how to protect children's online lives and help delete online predators by learning how to report incidents to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
- Polly Klaas Foundation "Internet Safety Kit"
Access to a free, online “Internet Safety Kit,” which contains guidance for parents on ways to keep your children safer online and help facilitate communication about the Internet with your children.
- Eluding Internet Predators - Predator Tip Sheet
Review tips and reminders (from i-Safe) on how to help recognize Internet predators and how to avoid dangerous situations on the Internet.
- Online predators: What You Can do to Minimize the Risk
Read answers to questions about how online predators work, who is at risk of being victimized by online predators, how you can reduce the risks of becoming a target, and more.
