It's All About Meeting People
Teens just want to meet new people. They want to find out information about others and have more friends. So, they design a website on MySpace or Facebook and wait for visitors. Isn't it great meeting all these new people?
Predators
What many forget is that predators want to make new friends, too. They are looking for as many new and innocent youth as possible to increase their chances for finding new victims.
This website is very popular with college students. Facebook says that it will only accept individuals to join the site that have valid college email addresses. Outsiders are blocked from the site and this offers more security but it is not completely safe. Unfortunately, MySpace does not do this.
Easy Access to Information
Information is quite easy to obtain even if a teen is careful to never give out personal information. The predator (age 32) is casually talking to a 14-year-old who thinks he is 16-years-old and living in another state.
He: "So, what are you going to do tomorrow?"
She: "Basketball game. Home game."
He: "What's your mascot?"
She: "The Panthers....grrrrr."
He: "I bet you go to a big school."
She: "Nope. We're one of the smallest in the state."
Next Step
Predator merely needs to explore small schools in the state that have a Panthers mascot. Now, he needs to just ask a few more questions the next night.
He: "How was the basketball game?"
She: "Great. We won 72-53. I have a sore throat from yelling all night!!!"
He: "Are you a cheerleader?"
She: "Yes. I'm the smallest one on the squad so they put me on top for formations."
Almost There
Predator now looks at sporting scores on the internet. He easily finds the school based on the basketball scores. He can now go to the school website and get the name of the town. Chances are often good that there are pictures of sporting events with cheerleaders in the background. He just needs to look for the smallest one.
If the school does not post pictures, he can call the school and ask when the next basketball game is. He can now attend the game, leave with the crowd, wait for the cheerleaders to leave, and follow his target home. He now knows where she lives.
10:30 p.m.
Girl checks her messages before retiring. Her friend is on.
He: "What did you do tonight?"
She: "Basketball game. We won again."
He: "Bet your mom and dad had fun watching."
She: "Dad doesn't live with us anymore and mom works nights."
Predator now knows where she lives and that she is alone tonight.
False Security
The girl thinks she is talking to someone far away and 16-years-old. She has not given him her name, her address, her parents name, her school name, her phone number, or her parents' name. But, he knows where she lives and that she is at home alone tonight.
Predators are very clever at stalking their prey.
Related articles: Student and Sex Offender, My Space: Safer Now?
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
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