There are a variety of dangers lurking online that affect minors in a number of different ways. The Internet has expanded the way that young people communicate and interact with their peers. Young people use popular social media sites to stay in touch with their friends and to meet new people. Even on websites geared towards children and young adults, there are often adult online predators who look to interact with children. In the most serious cases, this can lead to real life encounters.
Statistics About Grooming and Online Predators
There are an estimated 500,000 online predators active each day. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 are especially susceptible to be groomed or manipulated by adults they meet online. According to the F.B.I., over 50 percent of the victims of online sexual exploitation are between the ages of 12 and 15. An estimated 89 percent of sexual advances directed at children occur in Internet chatrooms or through instant messaging. In over a quarter of all reported exploitation incidents, the online predator will ask a child for sexually explicit photos of themselves. Four percent of children receive aggressive solicitations from adults online, including attempts to contact the children in person or over the phone. In addition, 58 percent of parents report being concerned about the threats that strangers pose online. Two out of ten children between the ages of 8 and 11 are aware of the issue and are concerned that strangers may find out information about them. And while using social media, forty percent of children remove privacy settings in order to attract more friends or followers.
How Do Online Predators Operate?
Adult predators looking to groom children online often visit social media websites that are popular with young people and will pretend to be their age. The adult may try to secure their trust with fake profile pictures, by pretending to share similar interests, by offering gifts to the child or by complimenting the child.
Once an online relationship has been established, the groomer will often steer the conversation towards sex. The child may be pressured to take explicit photos or videos of themselves and send them to the groomer. In the most extreme cases, the groomer will pressure the child to meet in person and may even fly in to meet the child. The groomer may blackmail the child by threatening to release the private photos or videos and share them with the child’s friends or family.
While adults who groom children online are often strangers, this is not always the case. In many circ*mstances, the child may have met a groomer through family or other connections and the adult builds a relationship with the child online. The child may not even realize that he or she is being groomed and may consider the groomer to be a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Signs that a Child is Being Groomed Online
Online grooming may be difficult to detect because it often occurs while a child is home and simply using the computer. Groomers often order children not to talk about their conduct. However, there may be signs that a child is being groomed by an online predator, including spending an increasing amount of time online, becoming secretive about their online conduct, switching screens or closing tabs or windows whenever a parent is close, using sexual language they would not be expected to know and becoming emotionally volatile.
Legal Consequences for Online Predators
Many states have laws preventing adults from “corrupting” minors or engaging in sexually explicit conversations with those under the age of 18. In addition, it is illegal to send p*rnographic to minors or to encourage and pressure minors to send explicit photographs or videos of themselves. Adults who are convicted of this type of conduct can be sentenced to prison and may be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
FAQs
Predators will:
Affirm feelings and choices of child. Exploit natural sexual curiosities of child. Ease inhibitions by gradually introducing sex into conversations or exposing them to p*rnography. Flatter and compliment the child excessively, sends gifts, and invests time, money, and energy to groom child.
What is the grooming process as a relates to online predators? ›
Online grooming occurs when an adult uses electronic communication (including social media) in a predatory fashion to try to lower a child's inhibitions, or heighten their curiosity about sex, with the aim of eventually meeting them in person for the purposes of sexual activity.
What are the effects of online predators to children? ›
Online predators can pose a significant risk to children and young people. Some of the risks include: Sexual exploitation: Online predators may seek to groom their victims for sexual purposes, encouraging them to send explicit images or videos or engaging in sexual activity.
How to explain online predators to kids? ›
Talk to your child about online predators.
Make clear that some online predators are old men or women pretending to be kids. And some predators are young adults or even teenagers. It may help to show your child news stories about predators who met kids through social networks or gaming platforms.
What does it mean when a predator grooms a child? ›
Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them. Children and young people who are groomed can be sexually abused, exploited or trafficked. Anybody can be a groomer, no matter their age, gender or race.
What percentage of children get groomed online? ›
Recent research shows nearly 20% of children will be sexually solicited by an adult online. Perpetrators use unique grooming behaviors online, such as examining their social media profiles and requesting pictures.
What are 4 warning signs of online grooming? ›
Warning signs
- It seems too good to be true. ...
- They send lots of messages. ...
- They send you sexual messages. ...
- They try to keep the conversation private. ...
- They try to blackmail you. ...
- They avoid video or phone calls.
However, there may be signs that a child is being groomed by an online predator, including spending an increasing amount of time online, becoming secretive about their online conduct, switching screens or closing tabs or windows whenever a parent is close, using sexual language they would not be expected to know and ...
How long does it take for a child to be groomed online? ›
Parents text content
The process of grooming can take place in a matter of minutes, over one conversation, or over long periods of time, in some cases, years. Sexual grooming refers to grooming where the offender aims to sexually abuse the child.
What do online predators look for? ›
Predators target kids who post revealing pictures, divulge past sexual abuse, and/or engage in sexual talk online.
Below are 5 tips for parents/caregivers on preventing child sexual abuse material.
- Talk to your child about online predators. ...
- Keep lines of communication open. ...
- Profiles of minors should be set to private. ...
- Pay attention to your child's online interactions. ...
- Implement parental controls.
Each day about 500,000 online predators establish contact with and groom victims (that is, build relationships with victims to gain access for the purpose of sexual abuse), who are usually between ages 12 and 15.
How to teach your kids about child predators? ›
Establish simple, personal safety rules with your children that are easy to understand and remember. Know the facts and signs of abuse—and what to do and say if it happens. Ask open-ended questions; practice active listening; and believe your child.
What do predators look for in children? ›
More specifically, predators look for children who: • Are looking for attention. Need someone to listen to them. Lack confidence or have low self-esteem.
How to stop child predators? ›
Get help & contact law enforcement.
Local law enforcement agencies are important partners in addressing the issue of child predators and keeping your kids safe. Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s Cyber Tip Line and submit a report with your evidence.
How would a predator groom a child on an online video game platform? ›
In cases of online grooming, the predator sometimes "gathers personal information about them, desensitizes them to sexual content by introducing sexually explicit conversation and p*rnographic imagery and exploits any vulnerabilities the child may have," according to DHS.
What are the warning signs of online grooming? ›
Signs a child is being groomed include: sudden changes in behaviour, such as spending more or less time online. spending more time away or going missing from home or school. being secretive about how they're spending their time, including when using online devices.
There are a variety of dangers lurking online that affect minors in a number of different ways. The Internet has expanded the way that young people communicate and interact with their peers. Young people use popular social media sites to stay in touch with their friends and to meet new people. Even on websites geared towards children and young adults, there are often adult online predators who look to interact with children. In the most serious cases, this can lead to real life encounters.