Online Predators

This section talks about how children can be at risk from online predators, and what you can do about it.

Online stalking, also known as cyberstalking, is a form of Internet harassment. It can exist only online, or it can escalate into the real world. Either way, it is very disturbing. When the victims are young people, we call these stalkers "online predators."

Are there laws in Canada to protect children?

In 2002, Canada enacted legislation that makes it a criminal offence to use the Internet to lure or exploit children for sexual purposes. (It's important to note that this legislation relates to children under the age of consent, which in Canada is 14.)

Section 264 of the Criminal Code defines harassment as a crime, both in the real world and on the Internet. This means that any action which causes a person to "fear for their safety, or the safety of anyone known to them" could be considered harassment. Such actions include:

Following a person from place to place
Communicating with a person, either directly or indirectly
Watching a person at home, at work, or anywhere else
Engaging in threatening conduct directed at a person or any member of their family

How do predators work?

Online predators are usually:

Male
Seductive
Introverted
Sadistic
Sexually indiscriminate

Some online predators gradually seduce their targets through the use of attention, affection, kindness, and even gifts. They are often willing to devote considerable amounts of time, money, and energy to this process. They will be aware of the latest music and hobbies likely to interest kids, and will listen to and sympathize with kids' problems. They also try to lower young people's inhibitions by gradually introducing sexual content into their conversations.

Other predators are faster workers: they engage in sexually explicit conversations with children immediately. This more direct approach may include harassment or stalking. Predators may also be evaluating the kids they meet online for future face-to-face contact.

How are kids victimized?

Children can be victimized by conversation, whether in a chat room or via email, or by being shown sexually explicit information and material. Children, especially adolescents, are often curious about sexuality and sexually explicit material. They may be moving away from the total control of parents and seeking to establish new relationships outside their family. For these reasons, some older children and adolescents actively seek out sexually explicit materials and strangers with a particular interest in them; and sex offenders who target children will exploit these tendencies. Young teens may also be attracted to and lured by online offenders who are close to their age. Although these people are not technically pedophiles, they may still be dangerous.

What children are at risk?

Some young people are particularly vulnerable to online predators. The children most at risk may display the following traits:

New online and unfamiliar with Netiquette
Actively seeking attention/affection
Rebellious
Isolated or lonely
Curious
Confused regarding sexual identity
Easily tricked by adults
Allured by subcultures outside of parents' world

How can parents minimize the risk of a child becoming a victim?

Talk to your kids about sexual predators and potential online dangers.
Young children shouldn't use chat rooms, period—the dangers are too great. As children get older, steer them towards well-monitored chat rooms for kids. Even teens should be encouraged to use monitored chat rooms.
Instruct your children to never leave the public area of a chat room. Many chat rooms offer private areas where users can have one-on-one conversations.
If your children participate in chat rooms, make it your business to know what chat rooms they visit and who they talk to. Monitor the chat areas yourself to see what kind of conversations are going on.
Keep the computer with Internet access in a common area of the house, never in a child's bedroom. It's much more difficult for a predator to establish a relationship with your child if the computer screen is easily visible to parents and other household members.
When your children are young, they should share the family email address rather than having their own email accounts. As they get older, you can ask your ISP to set up a separate email address, but kids' mail should still reside in your account.
Teach your children never to respond to instant messaging or emails from strangers.
For places outside your area of supervision—such as the public library, school, or friend's homes—find out what computer safeguards are used.
If all precautions fail and your kids do encounter an online predator, remember that they're not to blame in any way. The offender always bears the complete responsibility for his actions.

How can kids minimize the risk of being victimized?

They should:

Of the 15% of Canadian kids who have met an Internet friend in person, 12% say that the experience was a "bad" one.

(Source: The Young Canadians In A Wired World Survey, Media Awareness Network, 2001)

Never download images from an unknown source, as they could be sexually explicit.

Tell an adult immediately if anything happens online that makes them feel uncomfortable or frightened.
Choose a gender-neutral nickname.
Never reveal personally identifiable information (including age and gender) online.
Post the family online agreement by the computer to remind them to protect their privacy on the Internet.

How can you tell if a child is being targeted?

Here some clues that may indicate that a child has been targeted by an online predator:

A child or teen spends large amounts of time online
Most children who fall victim to online predators spend a lot of time online, particularly in chat rooms. In such cases, parents should monitor how much time is spent online, and in what activities.
You find pornography on the family computer
Predators often use pornography to sexually victimize children—often supplying it as a way to open sexual discussions with potential victims. Child pornography may be used to convince a child victim that adults having sex with children is "normal." Parents should be aware that a child may hide pornographic files on diskettes, especially if the computer is used by other family members. For information on how to find Web files, videos or images stored on your computer, see Tracking Where Kids Have Been Online.
A child or teen receives phone calls from people you don't know; or makes calls to numbers you don't recognize—sometimes long distance
Online predators may try to contact young people to engage in "phone sex," or to try to set up a real-world meeting. If kids are hesitant to give out their home phone number, online sex offenders will give out theirs. Some have even obtained toll-free 1-800 numbers, so their potential victims can call them without their parents finding out. Others will tell the child to call collect—and then, with Caller ID, they can easily find out the child's phone number.
A child or teen receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don't know
It's common for offenders to send letters, photographs, and all manner of gifts to their potential victims. Computer-sex offenders have even sent plane tickets to try to entice a child or teen to travel across the country to meet them.
A child or teen becomes withdrawn from family and friends; or quickly turns the computer monitor off or changes the screen if an adult comes into the room
Online predators work hard to drive wedges between kids and their families, often exaggerating any minor problems at home. Sexually victimized children often become withdrawn and depressed. And if kids are avoiding their friends or skipping classes, they may be attempting to meet with a predator.
A child is using someone else's online account
Even kids who don't have access to the Internet at home may meet an offender while online at a friend's house or the library. Predators will sometimes provide their victims with a computer account, so they can communicate with them.

What can you do if a child is being targeted?

You should contact your local police immediately if an online correspondent sends a young person child pornography or sexually explicit images; and especially if a young person is actually sexually solicited.
Check your computer for pornographic files or any kind of sexual communications—these can be warning signs.
Monitor the child's access to all live electronic communications, such as chat rooms, instant messages, and email. Online predators almost always meet potential victims in chat rooms at first, and then continue communicating with them electronically via email.

Source: The above information was adapted, with permission, from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation publication A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety. It was rewritten for a Canadian audience with the assistance of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service's High Tech Crime Team.