Answer the following questions with a “Yes” or a “No”

Have you been communicating through chat rooms, with somebody you haven’t met face to face?

Pretended that you are older or younger when chatting with someone (unknown) on the Internet?

Talked about meeting somebody you have met in a chatroom?

Discussed sexual topics with someone you got acquainted with in a chat room and received sexually explicit links on e-mail?

If your answer to any of the questions is a “Yes,” then you are courting trouble with a capital ‘T’. Are you aware that 90% of teen/child predators “hunt” for their “victims” online? By taking unnecessary links, like the ones mentioned above, you are putting yourself in a vulnerable position.

With the Web becoming the doorway to a larger world, a growing number of teens today are virtually addicted to the internet. Most of the times, this is a positive sign of progress and development, but some unfortunate ones find themselves in the dark abyss of fear and sexual exploitation. More than half of the teens, in the age group of 13-17 visit private and adult chat rooms and are soon exposed to unsolicited contacts – many of which digress to pornographic materials and eventual sexual harassment.

The people who accost teens on the internet are looking for vulnerabilities, so that they can extend their sympathy and understanding. This helps them to immediately establish trust. What starts of as an innocent interaction with a stranger soon assumes a more serious character. Teens are blossoming adults and quite obviously precocious about topics, like sex, which they cannot discuss freely with their parents and siblings. This unknown person becomes the source of information for a teen’s curiosity (There are several other areas of a teen’s life that a predator may choose to show more understanding about, like weight, peer pressure etc.)



Unfortunately, the predator soon starts using this platform to satisfy his own deviated sexuality, often threatening blackmail if a teen refuses to talk or is afraid of sharing personal information. But what makes this potentially dangerous situation a grave one, is when the person expresses a desire to meet. The teens are too young to understand the implications of a meeting a stranger they have come to trust. More often than not they are coerced, through blackmail, into meeting. Sometimes, the predator lands up on the doorstep, because the teen might have given him her address during the course of their conversations. What follows, scars the teen of life or, as it happens in most of such instances, the teen ends up paying for this friendship with her life.

The parents need to be cautious about how their teens are utilizing their Intenet connection at home. It is not possible to keep tabs on your child all the time. But do not hesitate to take a peek into your young teen’s room when she has been sitting in front of the computer for hours. Look out for outward signs of depression, aloofness or fear. The teen years are known to create a barrier in communication between the blossoming adults and the grown ups of the household. The latter should take the initiative to knock out this barrier. Remember that a teen is “learning” to be an adult. This process of learning is particularly stressful but if you, as a grown up, give a helping hand, however unsolicited it might be, a teen will not need to look for another source for support.

Chatting on the Internet is undeniably attractive, and can be a great fun if done within the parameters of cautiousness. Remember:

When entering a chat room, refrain from giving away personal information like your age, your actual name, where you stay or your telephone numbers.

Never forward your photograph to a stranger you have met online. Engaging in cyber sex will be akin to playing with fire.

If you feel that the person you are interacting with is pressurizing you for a meeting, withdraw from the situation, log off and speak to your parents.

Never, under any circumstances, travel alone to meet a stranger you have met online. If you are keen on meeting the person, make sure that you do so in crowded areas and that too, when you are accompanied by somebody you trust.

Remember that the predators are only pretending to be your friend. They are only “appearing” to share your views on topics. They are trying to “create the impression” that they are the only ones who understand you.

Learn to be perceptive towards the tone of the conversation. A predator will steer the conversation towards sexual topics, encouraging your questions on the same.

If your new friend threatens violence or some kind of public humiliation when you refuse to meet him, speak to your parents immediately.



Finding somebody to talk to… somebody who is away from the usual humdrum of your life, is understandably attractive, but do so with extreme caution. Not every story is as beautiful as “You’ve got Mail,” and not everybody is as lucky as Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly.

Source: magnamags