Cyber Predators

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Cyber Predators | For Parents | For Teenagers and Young Adults | Resources

Who is a cyber predator?
What is cyberstalking?
Are there different types of cyber predators?
What are the risks and exposures that exist?
How prevalent is cyberstalking?

Who is a cyber predator?
A cyber predator is someone who uses communication technologies to stalk a person with the intent of inflicting financial or bodily harm. Here too, though the problem is widespread, much of the public is unaware of how cyber predators identify and pursue their victims.

Cyber predators find their victims over the Internet, using various means to get personal information about their targets. Most cyber predators are proficient Internet users looking for children and young adults for sex.

It always starts with cyber stalking.

What is cyberstalking?
Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to pursue or harass someone, often causing a range of physical, emotional and psychological harm to the victim.

 

Unfortunately, stalkers can hide behind anonymous e-mails and use computer programs that conceal their digital location, making it difficult for law enforcement to link harassment to a particular stalker.

Are there different types of cyber predators?
Yes. Cyber predators are differentiated based on their intention and modus operandi.

Cyber child sex offenders profile: Four types of sex offenders
According to the website of the Attorney General of state of Ohio, there are four types of sex offenders on the web. These four basic terms separate the types of child sex offenders based on their actions and affinity for child pornography.

• Travelers - Those who manipulate or coerce kids to meet them in person for sex. Travelers focus on physical contact—that is their ultimate goal. These predators may arrange to meet a child victim at a variety of places, including a shopping mall, school, soccer field, theater or even the child’s own home, when the victim’s parents are out.
• Collectors - Those involved in collecting child pornography. Collectors may amass huge collections of child pornography. Although they may actively trade images with other collectors, these predators are typically not involved in the creation of these images.
• Manufacturers - Those who create child pornography on any type of medium, including video and digital and printed pictures. They may actively solicit children through bribery, coercion or force. Manufacturers are always considered collectors.
• Chatters - Those presenting themselves as trustworthy individuals in chat sessions. Chatters may be seen as harmless individuals who may not collect child pornography or seek physical contact with the victim. They may, however, expose the child to sexually inappropriate communications and even graphic sexual images. Chatters may eventually develop into collectors or travelers.

For more information visit http://www.ag.state.oh.us/citizen/isafety/index.asp

What are the risks and exposures that exist?

• Exposure to Inappropriate Material
  One risk is that a child may be exposed to inappropriate material that is sexual, hateful, violent or encourages activities that are dangerous or illegal.
• Physical Molestation
  Although unlikely, it is possible that a child online might provide information, or arrange an encounter, that could risk his or her safety or the safety of family members. In some cases, pedophiles have used e-mail, bulletin boards and chat areas to gain children's confidence and then arrange face-to-face meetings.
• Harassment
  A child might encounter e-mail, chat or bulletin board messages that are harassing, demeaning or belligerent. This may not be life threatening, but it could affect a child's self-esteem. The more a child participates in chat rooms or exchanges messages on bulletin boards, the more likely she or he is to receive such a message.
• Passwords
  Children must be cautioned to never give their passwords out to anyone, even if the person claims to work for your Internet service provider. When in doubt, children should ask their parents. Parents should know their provider's policy regarding passwords. AOL staff, for example, will never ask for a member’s password.
• Privacy
  Children have a right to privacy. Everything about them—their name, age, the school they attend—is their business and the business of their family. No one, including reputable companies, have a right to extract this information from children without first checking with a child's parents.

How prevalent is cyberstalking?
The prevalence of cyberstalking is hard to assess because victims may not realize they are being stalked, or consider the stalker’s behavior to be dangerous. Victims also may believe there is little that can be done about the problem and do not report it.

The Centers for Disease Control conducted an extensive telephone survey, funded by the National Institute of Justice, that found that approximately 8 percent of women and 2 percent of men had been stalked at some time in their lives. Another study found that more than 1 million Americans are stalked each year (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1997). Results of similar studies suggest that the vast majority of cases are heterosexual in nature and involve males stalking females.

Cyber Predators | For Parents | For Teenagers and Young Adults | Resources