ONLINE PREDATORS: HOW SAFE ARE WE? A PHOTO PRESENTATION BY: MICHELLE OCASIO & BRIANNA PEREZ

WHAT IS AN ONLINE PREDATOR? DEFINITION: A PERSON WHO COMMITS SEX CRIMES AGAINST A MINOR/ADULT BEGINNING ONLINE. ONE IN FIVE U.S. TEENAGERS WHO REGULARLY LOG ON TO THE INTERNET SAY THEY HAVE RECEIVED AN UNWANTED SEXUAL SOLICITATION VIA THE WEB. SOLICITATIONS WERE DEFINED AS REQUESTS TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITIES OR SEXUAL TALK, OR TO GIVE PERSONAL SEXUAL INFORMATION. ONE IN 33 YOUTH RECEIVED AN AGGRESSIVE SEXUAL SOLICITATION IN THE PAST YEAR. THIS MEANS A PREDATOR ASKED A YOUNG PERSON TO MEET SOMEWHERE, CALLED A YOUNG PERSON ON THE PHONE, AND/OR SENT THE YOUNG PERSON CORRESPONDENCE, MONEY, OR GIFTS THROUGH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE 77% OF THE TARGETS FOR ONLINE PREDATORS WERE AGE 14 OR OLDER. ANOTHER 22% WERE USERS AGES 10 TO 13.

This is a map of registered, convicted sex offenders in America. The green states contain registered, yellow have 199 or less registered, and the orange states have 300 or more registered sex offenders. More than half of these people are potential online predators. Figure 1: Map of Registered Sex Offenders in the United States Taken From www. rsolvirginia. org

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? ABOUT 82% OF ALL ONLINE PREDATORS USE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO CONTACT THEIR TARGETS. MOST ONLINE PREDATORS POSE AS YOUNG ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE TO GAIN THE TRUST OF MINORS/ADULTS AND BEGIN AN EXPLICIT ONLINE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. MOST OF THE TIME IT ENDS WITH THE PREDATOR WANTING TO MEET IN PERSON

In 2011, Match. com banned convicted sex offenders and potential online predators from use of their site after being sued by a woman who was assaulted by a convicted sex offender. Anyone who does not pass their screening is not allowed to use the site ’ s services. Figure 2: Match. com Bans Sex Offenders Taken from www. Salon. com

HOW CAN WE PREVENT THIS? Contact from online predators can always be prevented.

TIPS FOR KIDS IF A PERSON WANTS TO TALK TO YOU AND YOU DO NOT KNOW THEM, TELL A PARENT OR GUARDIAN IF SOMEONE CONTINUES TO CONTACT YOU GET AN ADULT INVOLVED NEVER GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION WITHOUT PERMISSION ASK A PARENT OR GUARDIAN ABOUT WAYS YOU CAN BE SAFE. IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, YOU AND YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN CAN LOOK AT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CRIMINAL PREVENTION WEBSITES, OR EVEN CONTACT YOUR LOCAL POLICE.

TIPS FOR TEENS IF SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW REQUESTS TO TALK TO YOU, IGNORE THE MESSAGE AND INFORM A PARENT OR GUARDIAN. IF SOMEONE OLDER THAN YOU TRIES TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITIES OR ASKS FOR EXPLICIT PICTURES, SAVE MESSAGES AND INFORM A PARENT OR GUARDIAN IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACT YOUR LOCAL POLICE. DO NOT POST ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET WITHOUT PERMISSION. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY, YOU CAN LOOK AT CRIMINAL PREVENTION WEBSITES OR ASK A PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

TIPS FOR PARENTS INFORM YOUR CHILD ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY AS SOON AS THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO USE A COMPUTER. REMIND THEM TO NEVER GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION REGULARLY MONITOR YOUR CHILD’S ONLINE ACTIVITY LOOK AT SEX OFFENDER REGISTERY SITES TO SEE IF SOME LIVE AROUND YOU. THIS WILL ALSO SHOW THEIR OFFENCES

POSSIBLE WEBSITES TO LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ONLINE PREDATORS

WORK CITED SENTRYPC ( ) CHILDREN AND TEEN STATISTICS RETRIEVED FROM RSOLVIRGINIA (OCTOBER, 2008) NOT SO FUN FACTS RETRIEVED FROM CNN ( 2013, NOVEMBER, 5 TH ) “GIRL” USED TO FIND PEDOPHILES ONLINE. RETRIEVED FROM KEEPYOURFAMILYSAFE (2011, AUGUST, 7 TH ) THE REALITIES OF ONLINE PREDATORS. RETRIEVED FROM MA. SHALYMER FORMARAN (2013, JULY, 12 TH ) IS ETHICAL IT ADVOCACY VIDEO - AVOID ONLINE PREDATORS. RETRIEVED FROM CLARK-FLORY, TRACY ( 2011, APRIL, 18 TH ) MATCH.COM BANS SEX OFFENDERS — FEEL SAFE NOW? RETRIEVED FROM