Online predator

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An online predator is an Internet user who exploits vulnerable people, usually for sexual or financial purposes. Most internet sex offenders are young adults who target people who are usually younger in age.[1]

Adolescents[1] and the elderly are most often the victims of online predators. Some experts recommend not providing personally identifiable information such as a name, password, phone number, address or credit card, or even Social Security numbers,[2] though providing personal information is not usually associated with being targeted by Internet child predators.[1] Prepubescent children are not often targeted.[1]

Online victimization of minors can include requests to engage in sexual activities or discussions by an adult; unwanted exposure to sexual material (opening junk mail with naked pictures, etc.); online harassment, threats or other aggressive communications that are not sexual in nature but cause distress, fear or embarrassment [3].

While chat and instant messaging are most often used by online predators, they also appear in other places. For example, MySpace has been accused of attracting online predators.[4] A 2007 study, however, found no cases of minors being targeted by Internet predators on the basis of information they had posted on social networking sites.[1]

Software which attempts to monitor computer activity has seen some popularity with parents concerned about Internet predators.[5]


[edit] Statistics

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children funded a study by the Crimes Against Children Resource Center in 2006 of youth Internet users over a five year period. They found:[6]:

  • An increase in encountering unwanted exposures to sexual material (from 25% to 34%)
  • An increase in cases of online harassment (from 6% to 9%)
  • A decrease in those receiving unwanted sexual solicitations (from 19% to 13%)
  • 40% of all youth Internet users said online solicitors asked them for nude or sexually explicit photographs of themselves.
  • Only a minority of youth who had unwanted sexual solicitations, unwanted exposures to sexual material, or harassment said they were distressed by the incidents.
  • One-third of the solicitations (31%) were aggressive, meaning the solicitors made, or attempted, offline contact with youth.

The validity of these statistics has been questioned.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wolak, Janis; David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, Michele L. Ybarra (Feb-Mar 2008). "Online "predators" and their victims: Myths, realities, and implications for prevention and treatment.". American Psychologist 63 (2): 111-128. 
  2. ^ Online Safety Rules For Kids. FEMA For Kids. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
  3. ^ "Snyder,H;Sickmund,M:Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report",p38. National Center for Juvenile Justice, March 2006
  4. ^ Williams, Pete (2006-02-03). MySpace, Facebook attract online predators. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
  5. ^ Donna Rice Hughes. Answers from an Internet safety expert [Internet]. Answering parents' frequently asked questions: MSNBC.
  6. ^ WOLAK, J; Mitchell, K; Finkelhor, D: “Online Victimization of Youth: 5 Years Later”, page 1, CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN RESEARCH CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, 2006.
  7. ^ Spreading "1 in 5" Number Does More Harm Than Good, Slashdot, Feb 26, 2008

[edit] External Links