Showing posts with label child predators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child predators. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Are we putting our kids in danger??

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
We may actually be putting our kids in danger by the contradicting messages we send.
We tell them not to trust strangers, yet
-we drop them off at ball practice with coaches we may never have met
-we allow them to stay after school because they will be with their teacher

-we send them to dance lessons
-scout meetings
-play groups
-daycare centers
-friends' homes
-malls
-movie theaters
-parks
-parties
-beaches
-even to the doctors office
without making sure that they are able to recognize when they are in danger

All of these places and circumstances are full of people they do not know & we do not know. Full of possible child predators.

We teach our kids not to take candy from strangers, but on Halloween, we often make exceptions, especially if it's in our own neighborhood, where sexual predators may lurk or reside.

And while we tell them not to even talk to strangers, we make an exception there too for police officers or other representatives of authority.
However, sexual predators have jobs in every profession.
There are no exceptions; they are white collar professionals, blue collar worker, & unemployed individuals.
It's impossible to tell sexual predators from the rest of the population. They are everywhere.




Instead of picking out a group of people to whom our kids can turn to when they are in trouble, such as police officers, we need to simply & openly teach children how to know where to turn.

They have to be trained to use their own intuition about people & use it in conjunction with the information that we have provided to them.

Predators can easily gain the trust of a child, instill in them a feeling of security, & often lead them astray by convincing them that they are mature enough to make their own decisions.

That is why we need to teach children, starting from a very early age, the vitally important information to help them take the power away from the predator.

*Children need to be aware that predators can & will approach them in broad daylight, & on the internet, anywhere at anytime.

If we can instill in our children the need to be completely aware of their surroundings on a much higher level than we generally do, then it's a start.

If we let children know at a young age that people older than them cannot always be trusted, that someone may try to talk to them about things like secrets & special friendships & that children need to tell on them, then we are making some progress. If we explain openly & honestly that there is nobody that can be crossed off the list of people to follow the rules about, then we might just get through to them.

Kids are resilient. They are smarter than we think. Giving them the tools to protect themselves at an early age is wise because it will come naturally to them as just another lesson in life.

I want to help you, as parents, educate yourselves & your children about these predators.

Without education, we will fail our children.

your_girl_amy@yahoo.com


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Monday, August 30, 2010

Characteristics of an Internet Child Predator

Monday, August 30, 2010
I am going to list some characteristics of a child predator, but it's important to remember that they do not all meet these characteristics. There are always those predators who are outside the box that experts have identified.

-The average child predator is male & over the age of 25.
-he could be considered the guy down the street who kept to himself.
-the loner type, very few friends, & typically not married.
-most often has limited social skills, but a propensity to engage in conversation with an adolescent or child.
-tends to become shy with adults of his own age.
-seeks out jobs that allow him to work around children.

Child predators come from all walks of life, some are rich, some are poor, some are educated and some are not.
They usually have a sexually abusive or violent background.

Child predators usually see nothing wrong with their behavior.
They will target numerous children at a time.
They will take their time to groom their victims & their words are very thought out.
Once trust is built, blackmail & guilt are often used to get the child to succumb to their demands.

As a parent, you need to create open dialogue with your child & set clear rules regarding the computer & internet usage.
Watch what they are doing online, but do it openly.
Set trust between you and your child.
Be honest & tell them what can happen.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.
your_girl_amy@yahoo.com

1 comments

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

What children are at risk?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Some young people are particularly vulnerable to online predators.

May display some of the following traits:
~new online & unfamiliar with netiquette. But even the most web savvy teens can be seduced by predators who are good at what they do.

~Actively seeking attention or affection

~Rebellious

~isolated/lonely

~Curious

~Confused regarding sexual identity

~Easily tricked by adults

~Allured by subcultures outside of parents' world.

Here are some characteristics of typical victims:

-most but not all victims are between the age of 12 & 15
-Most victims have an instant message account but haven't set up privacy or security settings & willingly engage in conversations with strangers.
-live in suburban or rural towns
-are very sheltered & naive
-tend to be loners with few offline friends.
-tend to spend more than 90 minutes online after homework per day
-are secretive about their internet activities
-tend to have few activities outside of the internet.

Just because your child matches one or more of these characteristics does not mean they are being targeted by predators. However, your child is not perfectly safe if they match none of these characteristics.

Be an involved parent. Ask your child questions. Explain why you want to know this info.
Open & honest.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for a FREE consultation.
your_girl_amy@yahoo.com

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