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What Are Signs That Your Child Might Be
At Risk On-line?
1. YOUR CHILD SPENDS
LARGE AMOUNTS OF TIME ON-LINE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.
Most children that fall victim to
computer-sex offenders spend large amounts of time on-line, particularly
in chat rooms. They may go on-line after dinner and on the weekends.
They may be latchkey kids whose parents have told them to stay at home
after school. They go on-line to chat with friends, make new friends,
pass time, and sometimes look for sexually explicit information. While
much of the knowledge and experience gained may be valuable, parents
should consider monitoring the amount of time spent on-line
Children on-line are at the greatest risk during the evening hours.
While offenders are on-line around the clock, most work during the day
and spend their evenings on-line trying to locate and lure children or
seeking pornography.
2. YOU FIND
PORNOGRAPHY ON YOUR CHILD'S COMPUTER.
Pornography is often used in the
sexual victimization of children. Sex offenders often supply their
potential victims with pornography as a means of opening sexual
discussions and for seduction. Child pornography may be used to show
the child victim that sex between children and adults is "normal."
Parents should be conscious of the fact that a child may hide the
pornographic files on diskettes from them. This may be especially true
if the computer is used by other family members.
3. YOUR CHILD RECEIVES PHONE
CALLS FROM MEN/WOMEN YOU DON'T KNOW OR IS MAKING CALLS, SOMETIMES LONG
DISTANCE, TO NUMBERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE.
While talking to a child victim
on-line is a thrill for a computer-sex offender, it can be very cumbersome. Most want to talk to the children on the telephone. they
often engage in "phone sex" with the children and often seek to set up
an actual meeting for real sex.
While a child may be hesitant to give
out his/her home phone number, the computer-sex offenders will give out
theirs. With Caller ID, they can readily find out the child's phone
number. Some computer-sex offenders have even obtained toll-free 800
numbers, so that their potential victims can call them without their
parents finding out. Others will tell the child to call collect. Both
of these methods result in the computer-sex offender being able to find
out the child's phone number.
4. YOUR CHILD RECEIVES
MAIL, GIFTS, OR PACKAGES FROM SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW.
As part of the seduction process, it
is common for offenders to send letters, photographs, and all manner of
gifts to their potential victims. Computer-sex offenders have even
sent plane tickets in order for the child to travel across the country
to meet them.
5. YOUR CHILD TURNS
THE COMPUTER MONITOR OFF OR QUICKLY CHANGES THE SCREEN ON THE MONITOR
WHEN YOU COME INTO THE ROOM.
A child looking at pornographic
images or having sexually explicit conversations does not want you to
see it on the screen.
6. YOUR CHILD BECOMES
WITHDRAWN FROM THE FAMILY
Computer-sex offenders will work very
hard at driving a wedge between a child and their family or at
exploiting their relationship. They will accentuate any minor problems
at home that the child might have. Children may also become withdrawn
after sexual victimization.
7.
YOUR CHILD IS USING AN ON-LINE ACCOUNT BELONGING TO
SOMEONE ELSE.
Even if you don't subscribe to an
on-line service or Internet service, your child may meet an offender
while on-line at a friend's house or the library. Most computers come
preloaded with on-line and/or Internet software. Computer-sex
offenders will sometimes provide potential victims with a computer
account for communications with them.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Office of Crimes Against Children
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535
(202) 324-3666
National Center For Missing & Exploited Children
CYBER TIPLINE
1-800-843-5678
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