Predators on the Internet

[wolf bite]

A bit of a tricky subject. On the news they are giving out unbelievably high numbers in percent of the kids who have been chatted to by perverts pretending to be other kids. I was even recently asked to work with the police on this, which I turned down becouse of the amount of time. One report said that kids who have myspace and the like are approached at least once per month!

We have a rather internet savvy group here to get a realistic poll going.


Wolf Bite

[fingo]

Can gladly say never. Unless I didn't realize   :-o :|

*eyes up strangers here*

[Ereptor]

Very interesting topic.  I saw a news program the other day that had a house set up to catch these guys.  There were television crews there and cops.  Then they interviewed the guys and asked them why they were there.  I think they pretended to be kids and then said meet me at this "house" and then the guys just showed up. 

Anyway about the topic.  I believe when i was a lot younger and AOL had just come out, I was approached by men trying to sell me porn.  It was kind of weird.  I mean before the internet, guys in dark coats didnt just walk up to you and ask you if you wanted to buy dirty magazines.  You had to walk up to them, in the red light district and then into the porn shop.  These days people approach you and most of you are kids that dont know how harmful these things can become.

My best advice is to treat it like your mom used to tell you when you were 5.  Don't talk to strangers.  I know that doesnt cover everything and people can be really sneaky with fake pictures and such.  But the advice is still the same.  Be careful

[Arguia Zsah]

A 25 year old guy from Istanbul keeps chatting me up.  :roll: Quite amusing really... keeps messaging me mostly in turkish and I don't understand a word. All he knows about me is my first name and age but yet he keeps messaging me...  :roll:

[Gen. Volkov]

Twice actually, the first time I was real young, some dude on a chat room got to be my "friend" and asked if I wanted to meet IRL, needless to say, didn't happen. The second time was about 2 months ago, some wierd dude, possibly gay, messages me on YIM, and is all friendly. And he has this pic of a guy with a very large.... man part.... for his image. Then he learned I was 21 and 6'5" he kinda left me alone after that. LOL.

[windhound]

O_o

cant say I've ever really seen (talked to) an online 'predator
which is a good thing.. 

myspace and random chatrooms are evil places and should be avoided at all costs  :-P

[Scarwake]

Never, I've met a guy that was 26 before, but I knew full well how old he was and what he looked like.  He wasn't trying to seduce me either, we're friends so.  And while I meet people from the net, I only meet people that give me pictures and if I feel that they are telling the truth, i meet them in public places; the mall for example.

[Ashyra Nightwing]

I don't think I've ever been approached by an online 'predator'. Maybe I was at some point, but I can't actually remember any specific time.

[Aqualis]

Nope. Not that I'd have much to worry about if I were ...

[cloud]

Nope, not really, unless they were someone I knew from real life.

However, the internet does seem to be full of 13 yr. old girl's and bisexuals who won't leave me alone. It's very disheartening. Plus I'm technically an adult, so I'm technically not "pray" anymore, but if any hot 20 something women want to abduct and rape me, give me your number.

[windhound]

^ more likely it would be a 20 something man who wants to abduct and rape you  :wink:

[Peace Alliance]

I don't know for certain that its ever happened to me... i've never met anyone IRl though, so theres no way to know for sure. Most of the people i meet on DeviantArt have entire galleries full of pictures of themselves, or at least pictures that define themselves. So usually i am pretty sure.

Wolf, the case they wanted you to work on, was it involving internet privacy? I'm very interested in internet privacy, my dad is a privacy consultant too. it would be a shame if you turned down something as exciting as that.

[wolf bite]

I did not mean to make it sound that I was that important. Just a request from the local PD requesting reserve officers to pose as 13 year olds in chat rooms to see if we get any ?bites? to set up meetings, which the Police would go to. I would have been good since I know most of the lingo. Anyway, it was not paid and I would have had to spend time in their down town office. Besides that, would have made my tummy turn.


Wolf Bite

[Disdain]

When I first started playing RWL, I didn't get involved in these forums. I've never been approched, but I've been an adult since the internet came out, well mostly. I got invited to play RWL through BloodWake. We were both part of a Stephen King group on MySpace. He asked for a friendship request and his profile said he was 18. Then one day, it said he was 16. I freeked. I have this rule NOT to talk to minors. I don't even talk to minors in public. So, I contacted Wolf and told him the story and that I was feeling weird about having a friendship with Blood. He gave me the OK, so I stayed. When I did get on the forum's, I wanted to make sure it was no secret that I'm an adult. (that's why I allowed my pic to be uploaded to the collection)

I have a 12 year old son and a 5 year old daughter and our home computer is in the middle of the living room and my son, even though he asks, does not have a MySpace account. All password protected sites are set up by me and I use the same pass all the time. The computer is pass protected, so he can't get on when I'm not home. I'd rather him be mad at me then to let him loose on the internet. He knows he will not have his own computer in his room. At least not online.

[Ereptor]

Disdain,
  First off I would just like to applaud you for;
number one: not putting a computer in your childs room
two: not letting him on while your not home
And three for setting bounderies not only for yourself but for your kids.

The kids i work with on a day to day basis dont have these parents, these bounderies, these rules.  That is a huge part of the reason that they are in the institution that i work at.  Environment, it is everything.  The environment you set for your child will determine, at least percentage wise, if they do drugs, have un protected sex and partake in risk taking behaviors.  The kids i work with are from very well off homes, get everything they want, have their own room, computer, tv, dvd, cellphone.  I mean these are miny adults running around with their heads cut off.  No bounderies.  They also have higher than average IQ's.  Its really just amazing to work with such smart kids that have made huge mistakes and yet still don't get it.

So if no one has told you lately.  Your doing a great job!