solicitation as a crude and dismissable fact of life. That said, you should
educate yourself about the tactics of sexual predators, warning signs of
children at risk, and candidly discuss these with children in your care.Certain things, including the following, put some kids more at risk of
sexual attention than others:➟ Internet sexual predators, like offline sexual predators,
prey on people of all ages. The group most at risk for
online sexual predation is teens between the ages of
13 and 15. Younger kids are less likely socialize online,
and older teens are generally a bit more cautious.➟ Young people with low self-esteem and few friends
have significantly increased vulnerability for this type
of grooming — they’re seeking understanding, they’re
willing to be extreme, and they’ve already lost their
footing. There are simple steps that you can take to
significantly reduce the risk of online sexual exploita-
tion of children in your care.➟ Don’t preach “stranger danger.” Sexual predators who
use online tools are often not strangers to their vic-
tims. Family members, family friends, teachers,
coaches, club leaders, and others who want to exploit
a minor sexually frequently use the Internet (and cell
phones) as grooming tools.➟ Talk to kids and teens about online sexual predators
in the same matter of fact way you talk about other
kinds of potential threats they may face.➟ Sexual predators groom children to establish trust,
isolate the victims from their friends and family, and
make the victim feel special with gifts and so on.240
Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk