Child Predators and the Internet, Are Your Children Safe?

The Internet can be a wonderful place with it's wealth of information but, it contains it's hidden dangers also. Child predators scour the Internet on a regular basis looking for their next victim. Many of us as parents allow our children to use the Internet, whether it be for doing school work, chatting with friends or playing games. We like to think that our children are safe on the Internet and it won't happen to them.

The truth about predators:

The truth is that a child predator can be lurking anywhere on the Internet that a child may be. Most sites have a chat system on their site where a person can chat with other members. There are many game sites and most of them offer on line chat, making it very easy for a predator to chat with a child. The sad and scary thing is that the sites our children enjoy are exactly where these predators lurk The Internet provides a great deal of anonymity, which in turn allows people to disguise themselves as anyone they want to be. With this disguise Internet predators can surf message boards and any other site they choose looking for victims. These victims are usually teenage boys or girls. The predator will then pretend to be the same age or close to it and become friends with the child. Once a predator has created a relationship with the child, they arrange to meet them. The child thinks they are meeting a new friend their age. At this point the child is lured to a spot where they are then kidnapped, raped, molested and sometimes worse. There are cases when the child has been murdered.

What the police are doing:

Police are taking many steps in their attempts to stop Internet predators. There are many police departments that have developed special units that they call Child Exploitation or Cyber Crime Units. These units spend their time searching for and arresting on line predators. There has been a great deal of success in catching predators.

Police go about finding Internet predators in several ways. One way they are doing this is to visit sites that predators tend to lurk. It is at this time that the police officer pretends to be a teenage girl or boy. If a predator sends pornographic material, or arranges a meeting to solicit a minor for sex, the police meet them and make an arrest.

Many police departments have put great effort into trying to educate the community about the dangers of On line predators. Many parents are not aware of the fact that On line predators have such an easy time finding a victim, or they do not know what types of websites their children are visiting. Educating parents and children about this danger can go a long way in preventing it from happening.

Some police departments have established websites and hot line numbers that are designed to help parents and children report suspected on line predators. The other helpful aspect of these sites are that they also contain links to lists of sexual offenders in the area.

Internet predators have been known to send sexually explicit photographs to children on line, or try to have lewd conversations with them. Web cams are also another way of exposing themselves and doing disturbing acts. The ability to hide themselves behind their computer makes them hard to catch. Parents should keep these things in mind. Internet predators are becoming a growing problem. A problem that is very dangerous to children. Below are some simple rules that can help keep a child safe.

Children should be made aware of this danger. Parents should make a point of reminding their children of this danger. The more reminding the child gets, the more it will stick with them. Most parents remind their children often about the danger of strangers and the dangers on the Internet should get the same reminding. Children should be warned not to give out any personal information. It is also important to stress the dangers of meeting in person someone they have met on line. Children should also be reminded to get a parent if they feel a conversation seems strange.

Keep the computer in an open area:

The computer should be kept in an open area where children can not conceal what they are doing. The bedroom is not a good place for a computer. If children are using the computer in an open area that is visible to parents they will be less likely to try to conceal anything. They will also be less likely to end up in the position where they may fall victim to a predator.

Know who their friends are:

Knowing who your child is communicating with is an important part of keeping them safe. Know who their friends are and what their on line names are. If you insist on knowing this information a child will be less likely to have "secret" friends. Some people see this as an invasion of privacy but, an informed parent can help keep a child safe. If a child has nothing to hide they don't usually mind giving this information.

Know the sites they visit:

Knowing the sites that a child visits can help you monitor their activities. Knowing this information can also help you with spotting unusual activity. Does their on line activity seem strange to you? Have they changed their computer habits? Knowing their usual routine can help you to spot things that may raise a red flag.

Keep your eyes open:

Children who fall victim to a predator don't realize what is going on. Children are flattered by the attention and can be easily trapped in a situation that they don't realize is a bad one. Parents on the other hand will pick up quickly on a "strange" conversation. A parent doesn't need to stand at the computer and read chat conversations, unless of course they feel there is something going on but, a "need" to casually pass by the computer and get a glance at the conversation can give you clues as to the type of conversation that is being had. It will also allow you to know if the person they are chatting with is a name you recognize from their list of friends.

Most importantly keep them informed and remind them on a regular basis about the dangers of the Internet. And remember that informed parents are equally as important as informed children.