Online Predators
Searching for a Victim
Predators may be in touch with many children at any given time. When they begin communicating with a new child, they engage in a grooming process that can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. This process frequently ends with an attempt to lure a child to a meeting outside the home. The predator could also engage in cyberstalking.
Predators can be extremely convincing
They know what to say and do to gain a child's trust, and they exploit their potential victim's inexperience. A study 1 found that most children who agree to meet face-to-face with an adult do so willingly. They are not tricked or coerced.
Predators can be anyone
This website uses the term "child predator" as a convenient way to refer to an adult who seeks children. However, experts warn that the stereotype of a child predator (for example, a suspicious-looking stranger wearing a trench coat) is inaccurate. You can't tell predators by the way they look, the jobs they hold or their social status. Parents should be aware that any adult could be someone who would exploit their child.
| Click here for tips on how to protect your child from a child predator. |
| Click here for a list of abbreviations used in chat rooms and instant messaging. |
1. David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. Internet-Initiated Sex Crimes Against Minors: Implications for Prevention Based on Findings from a National Study 2004