ONLINE PREDATORS

 

PROTECTING KIDS FROM INTERNET PREDATORS

 

Did you know that...

 

Fifteen seconds is how long it takes for an undercover Police officer posing as a child to be approached by an online predator?

 

Here are some things to tell your children before they go on the Internet to protect them from online predators.

 

-Never allow them to give their personal information to someone in a chat room. They shouldn't even be using their real name or age. If they're on a site that allows for picture identification, be sure they use an avatar. And tell them under no circumstances are they to ever reveal their address, their phone number or where they go to school.

 

-If they want to post a personal diary on a site like Facebook, make sure it's a private one, open only to friends they know. But even that's no guarantee. Predators troll the profiles, looking for potential victims. Until they're a certain age, you may want to keep them off such sites entirely.

 

-Tell them to tell you about any online harassment or any messages that make them feel uncomfortable. It's a virtual world, but it's still filled with plenty of real life villains.

 

-Remind them that anything they post online is permanent. Changing their profile doesn't delete old copies of it. Anything they say or have said in the past can be accessed by others, as a permanent record.

 

-Childhood is a trusting time. You know people aren't always who they say they are. They may not. It may diminish their outlook slightly, but it's too valuable a lesson not to teach them.

 

-Make them promise they'll never agree to meet anyone they contacted online. Most child predators pose as kids the same age, and know all the lingo. They gradually gain trust before suggesting they 'get together' with your child.

 

-Be sure to always monitor what you child is doing online, including who he or she is chatting with and what sites they're looking at. There are large numbers of software programs that allow you to block different web addresses or prevent them from going to places where inappropriate words you specify appear. Most aren't expensive and can be very effective, acting as a second safeguard.

 

If you suspect someone has made inappropriate contact with your child, contact your local Police.

 

Source:  Toronto Police Child Exploitation Section