When you hear about online child molesters you probably envision pedophiles pretending to be kids and scouring the Net for small children to abduct and harm. But that popularly perceived profile of Internet sex offenders just isn't true to life in most cases, says a new study.
Researchers at the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire set out to shed some light on who most online "predators" really are and who they're targeting.
The researchers focused on interviews with 3,000 10- to 17-year-old Internet users, as well as more than 600 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
They found that most online sex offenders:
- are looking for teens — not kids (and they aren't usually pedophiles — people who are sexually attracted to young children)
- are adult men who are honest about their age and about being online in search of sex
- don't pretend to be another kid or teen (only 5% pose as youth) or commit violent or aggressive crimes like abduction, stalking, or forcible rape
- often take their time establishing teenagers' trust (through emails, chat rooms discussions, and instant messaging) in order to seduce or romance them into having intimate relationships that they hope will lead to sex
- are charged with nonviolent statutory rape — sex with a minor
And the kids who are targeted by these Internet "predators":
- usually know they're communicating with an adult online
- say they love or have strong feelings for the adult offenders
- often see the online sex offenders face-to-face repeatedly — nearly three quarters of kids who end up meeting these adults get together with them more than once (and many meet fully expecting some sort of sexual encounter)
- are far more often girls, though almost a quarter of the victims in criminal Internet sex offender cases are boys (many of whom are gay or questioning their sexuality)
- are more vulnerable to "aggressive sexual solicitations" when they:
- talk to strangers online about sex
- keep instant messaging "buddy lists" that include people they don't know
- are "rude or nasty online"
- have a history of: abuse (physical or sexual), problems at home (including strained relationships with parents), depression, and/or risk-taking behaviors not only on the Internet but in the real world, too
But the researchers make sure to point out that "sex crimes have not increased" — even though the Internet has become a mainstay in kids' and teens' lives.
What This Means to You
This study’s authors say that the strategies usually recommended to parents, like monitoring kids’ Internet activity and encouraging them not to give out personal info, might not be enough to help them fend off online sex offenders. Even social networking sites (like MySpace and Facebook) didn't seem to increase kids' risks of being targeted by online "predators" at all, they say.
Still, just as you wouldn't let your kids linger in a seedy bar or party the night away at a club, it's important to make sure they have boundaries and rules in their virtual world, too — where they can go on the Internet, what they can do, and with whom (and how) they should communicate through email, chat rooms, instant messaging online, or text messaging on cell phones.
To help reduce some of the risks of cyberspace — from lurking pedophiles and online porn to violent games and cyberbullying — educate yourself about the websites your kids use and visit. You can start by asking them, of course, but don't hesitate to double-check on your own.
An easy and free way to find out what your kids are doing online is to look at the "recent history" of searched terms and sites visited. At the top of your Internet browser just click on the pull-down arrows next to the field where you enter in website addresses (you'll see a list of the most recently visited sites) and next to any search bars you've installed (for easy access to search engines like Google and Yahoo) to see the most recent searches.
Here are some other simple things you can do to keep kids and teens safe online:
- Put the computer in a common area — not in their rooms.
- Know who your kids are "talking" to online. And make sure they know what's appropriate to say, write, send, and receive — and what's not.
- Make sure they're not using provocative usernames or email addresses that could attract virtual predators or unwanted sexual advances (from adults or other young users).
- Tell them it's never OK or safe to post or share revealing or suggestive pictures and videos online (or on their cell phones).
- Caution them about making sexual comments and striking up sexually explicit conversations on the Net — especially in chat rooms (where things can get racy) and with people they've never met or anyone who says (or seems like) they're an adult.
- Use safety features provided by your Internet service provider (ISP) or buy special filtering or blocking software to keep your kids from entering private chat rooms and to prevent potential predators (or bullies) from contacting your kids through instant messaging programs.
- Bookmark favorite sites so that it's less likely they'll stumble upon sexually explicit content because of a simple typo.
- Talk to school administrators about their "rules of conduct" for in-school Internet and cell phone use.
- Keep records of any harassing, hurtful, threatening, or sexually graphic email, text, or instant messages to share with your ISP and/or the police.
- Make sure your kids know that, although it's perfectly natural and OK to be curious and have sexual feelings during the preteen and teen years, it's not appropriate — or legal — to have a romantic or sexual relationship with an adult.
Above all, encourage your children to come to you whenever they encounter anything — or anyone — that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe either online or off.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: February 2008
Source: "Online 'Predators' and Their Victims: Myths, Realities, and Implications for Prevention," the American Psychological Association's journal, American Psychologist, February/March 2008.
