CDZ Intergenerationality

[phoenyx]

What is the grooming process? How do they do this?
In order to protect a child from the dangers of online grooming we need to understand how this happens. How does a child get to the stage of being a victim of grooming and quite often, a willing accomplice in the abuse? And what are the lessons that can be learned from this process?

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner who has worked on some of the most sensitive cases in America in recent years, from Andrea Yates to the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart wrote an excellent article for the www.oprah.com website where he outlined the 6 stages of grooming (Source: Oprah website ).



In this guide I am referencing these 6 stages and adding some examples of how it applies to online networks and apps.


Stage 1. Targeting the victim

According to Dr. Welner, “The offender targets a victim by sizing up the child’s vulnerability—emotional neediness, isolation and lower self-confidence. Children with less parental oversight are more desirable prey.”



How do they do this in reality?

• The groomer gathers personal details about a child online e.g. the child’s age, name, address, mobile number and the school the child attends.
• This information is often easily gathered from social networking sites such as a child’s profile on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The information is also obtained via multi-player games on Xbox, Playstation and WebChat sites.
• Many teens share hundreds of photos and videos of themselves on their social media accounts that can be viewed by anyone. They also list links to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat profiles for anyone to follow and message them.

Some good points in your article. That being said, I think the most important thing to remember is that there must always be a balance between avoiding interactions that can be harmful and not allowing interactions to take place at all.

No. No adult men should be "befriending" underage children on the internet. It is completely inappropriate.

You put the word befriending in quotes. Are you suggesting that it's impossible for adults to be friends with minors on the internet? Or is it only that -men- can't be friends with minors on the internet? Also, you are specifying the internet- why? Is it ok if adults befriend minors -off- of the internet? Another thing- you make this seem like this is a 1 way street- adults try to befriend minors, but minors don't try to befriend adults. Do you really believe only one side is interested in friendships with the other?

 

[ChrisL]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls. The ones who do take steps and befriend your underage child are usually not doing so with good intentions. A normal well adjusted adult male would have nothing in common with a teen girl anyways.

 

[ChrisL]

What is the grooming process? How do they do this?
In order to protect a child from the dangers of online grooming we need to understand how this happens. How does a child get to the stage of being a victim of grooming and quite often, a willing accomplice in the abuse? And what are the lessons that can be learned from this process?

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner who has worked on some of the most sensitive cases in America in recent years, from Andrea Yates to the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart wrote an excellent article for the www.oprah.com website where he outlined the 6 stages of grooming (Source: Oprah website ).



In this guide I am referencing these 6 stages and adding some examples of how it applies to online networks and apps.


Stage 1. Targeting the victim

According to Dr. Welner, “The offender targets a victim by sizing up the child’s vulnerability—emotional neediness, isolation and lower self-confidence. Children with less parental oversight are more desirable prey.”



How do they do this in reality?

• The groomer gathers personal details about a child online e.g. the child’s age, name, address, mobile number and the school the child attends.
• This information is often easily gathered from social networking sites such as a child’s profile on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The information is also obtained via multi-player games on Xbox, Playstation and WebChat sites.
• Many teens share hundreds of photos and videos of themselves on their social media accounts that can be viewed by anyone. They also list links to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat profiles for anyone to follow and message them.

Some good points in your article. That being said, I think the most important thing to remember is that there must always be a balance between avoiding interactions that can be harmful and not allowing interactions to take place at all.

No. No adult men should be "befriending" underage children on the internet. It is completely inappropriate.

You put the word befriending in quotes. Are you suggesting that it's impossible for adults to be friends with minors on the internet? Or is it only that -men- can't be friends with minors on the internet? Also, you are specifying the internet- why? Is it ok if adults befriend minors -off- of the internet?

I think this has already been covered in my link and the excerpts I posted from them.

 

[ChrisL]

Children are under the care of an adult parent/guardian for a reason. A parent's main and most important job is to protect their child. That includes on the internet.

I'd say there's another very important job for a parent- to give a child everything they need to grow. I strongly believe that this includes interactions with adults. Most parents agree that interactions with teachers is a good thing. And yes, they are vetted, as you say. That being said, children will not always be dealing with adults who are vetted. This becomes increasingly true the older they get. Given this fact, it behooves parents to train their children to know what types adult behaviours to look out for, but also to let them know that not all non family/non teachers are out to get them. I think that online environments can be a good place to start, as there is a barrier towards any physical interactions taking place, which is generally the ones that carry the most potential for harm.

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

 

[phoenyx]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls.

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

 

[ChrisL]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls.

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

Pedophiles play a role in that.

 

[phoenyx]

Children are under the care of an adult parent/guardian for a reason. A parent's main and most important job is to protect their child. That includes on the internet.

I'd say there's another very important job for a parent- to give a child everything they need to grow. I strongly believe that this includes interactions with adults. Most parents agree that interactions with teachers is a good thing. And yes, they are vetted, as you say. That being said, children will not always be dealing with adults who are vetted. This becomes increasingly true the older they get. Given this fact, it behooves parents to train their children to know what types adult behaviours to look out for, but also to let them know that not all non family/non teachers are out to get them. I think that online environments can be a good place to start, as there is a barrier towards any physical interactions taking place, which is generally the ones that carry the most potential for harm.

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

 

[ChrisL]

Children are under the care of an adult parent/guardian for a reason. A parent's main and most important job is to protect their child. That includes on the internet.

I'd say there's another very important job for a parent- to give a child everything they need to grow. I strongly believe that this includes interactions with adults. Most parents agree that interactions with teachers is a good thing. And yes, they are vetted, as you say. That being said, children will not always be dealing with adults who are vetted. This becomes increasingly true the older they get. Given this fact, it behooves parents to train their children to know what types adult behaviours to look out for, but also to let them know that not all non family/non teachers are out to get them. I think that online environments can be a good place to start, as there is a barrier towards any physical interactions taking place, which is generally the ones that carry the most potential for harm.

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

I certainly wouldn't do it. I'm not interested in making friends with teenagers. However, most internet predators are MEN. most pedophiles are MEN. A woman would tend to have more in common with a teen girl than an adult male.

 

[ChrisL]

Children are under the care of an adult parent/guardian for a reason. A parent's main and most important job is to protect their child. That includes on the internet.

I'd say there's another very important job for a parent- to give a child everything they need to grow. I strongly believe that this includes interactions with adults. Most parents agree that interactions with teachers is a good thing. And yes, they are vetted, as you say. That being said, children will not always be dealing with adults who are vetted. This becomes increasingly true the older they get. Given this fact, it behooves parents to train their children to know what types adult behaviours to look out for, but also to let them know that not all non family/non teachers are out to get them. I think that online environments can be a good place to start, as there is a barrier towards any physical interactions taking place, which is generally the ones that carry the most potential for harm.

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

Why are you so adamant about making "friends" with underage people anyhow?

How do you think the child's parents would react to your friendships with their teen daughters?

 

[phoenyx]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls.

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

Pedophiles play a role in that.

Yes, adults who prey on minors certainly do play a role in that. But as has been mentioned here before, such adults generally do so within their own circles- their own families or children of their friends. Trying this type of thing online is likely to get them arrested, because parents and guardians are much more vigilant when it comes to people outside of their own circles.

 

[ChrisL]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls.

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

Pedophiles play a role in that.

Yes, adults who prey on minors certainly do play a role in that. But as has been mentioned here before, such adults generally do so within their own circles- their own families or children of their friends. Trying this type of thing online is likely to get them arrested, because parents and guardians are much more vigilant when it comes to people outside of their own circles.

That is not true. There are tons of internet predators out there, as my link shows. Now, how do you think your typical parents are going to react when their 14-year-old daughter tells them about a 40-something-year-old man who is talking them up on the internet?

 

[phoenyx]

I'd say there's another very important job for a parent- to give a child everything they need to grow. I strongly believe that this includes interactions with adults. Most parents agree that interactions with teachers is a good thing. And yes, they are vetted, as you say. That being said, children will not always be dealing with adults who are vetted. This becomes increasingly true the older they get. Given this fact, it behooves parents to train their children to know what types adult behaviours to look out for, but also to let them know that not all non family/non teachers are out to get them. I think that online environments can be a good place to start, as there is a barrier towards any physical interactions taking place, which is generally the ones that carry the most potential for harm.

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

I certainly wouldn't do it. I'm not interested in making friends with teenagers.

Alright. But it seems clear that you don't mind -interacting- with them. You have even seemed to be downright friendly while doing it. Who knows, if you do it enough, you might even develop a friendship with one .

However, most internet predators are MEN. most pedophiles are MEN.

Fine. That being said, I think there's way too much hype about them. Here's a quote I found to be interesting:
**Everyone is panicking about sexual predators online, ... that's why parents are freaking. But what they really need to freak about and pay a lot more attention about is cyberstalking, harassment and cyberbullying ...

I talk to 10,000 teens and pre-teens a month in person, 10,000. We have polled 50,000 of these kids and found that between 85 and now 100 percent ... of the kids told me that they had been cyberbullied at least once. ....

We've had six kids that I'm aware of commit suicide in the United States in the last few years because they've been cyberbullied, and just recently we've just lost the first kid who committed suicide because her best friend had been cyberbullied and committed suicide six months before. So we now have one level beyond the cyberbullying, where kids have decided they can't live with what's happening to them. ...**

Source: Keeping Kids Safe - The Predator Fear | Growing Up Online | FRONTLINE | PBS

A woman would tend to have more in common with a teen girl than an adult male.

I suppose so, but males aren't -that- different then females. Furthermore, I think there is certainly some value in learning about how males are -different- then females as well. In schools, there seems to be a trend where there are less and less male teachers, perhaps in part due to the hysteria regarding male sexual predators. This can have a very negative effect, however, as both male and female minors are deprived of male role models.

 

[phoenyx]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls.

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

Pedophiles play a role in that.

Yes, adults who prey on minors certainly do play a role in that. But as has been mentioned here before, such adults generally do so within their own circles- their own families or children of their friends. Trying this type of thing online is likely to get them arrested, because parents and guardians are much more vigilant when it comes to people outside of their own circles.

That is not true.

I disagree...

**Very often the TV, radio and newspaper cover stories about children who are abused, abducted and even murdered, usually by strangers but it is important to know that these are not typical crimes. Sexual abusers are more likely to be people we know, and could well be people we care about; after all more than 8 out of 10 children who are sexually abused know their abuser. They are family members or friends, neighbours or babysitters – many hold responsible positions in society. Some will seek out employment which brings them into contact with children, some will hold positions of trust which can help to convince other adults that they are beyond reproach, making it hard for adults to raise their concerns.**

Source: Child sexual abuse questions answered

 

[ChrisL]

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

I certainly wouldn't do it. I'm not interested in making friends with teenagers.

Alright. But it seems clear that you don't mind -interacting- with them. You have even seemed to be downright friendly while doing it. Who knows, if you do it enough, you might even develop a friendship with one .

However, most internet predators are MEN. most pedophiles are MEN.

Fine. That being said, I think there's way too much hype about them. Here's a quote I found to be interesting:
**Everyone is panicking about sexual predators online, ... that's why parents are freaking. But what they really need to freak about and pay a lot more attention about is cyberstalking, harassment and cyberbullying ...

I talk to 10,000 teens and pre-teens a month in person, 10,000. We have polled 50,000 of these kids and found that between 85 and now 100 percent ... of the kids told me that they had been cyberbullied at least once. ....

We've had six kids that I'm aware of commit suicide in the United States in the last few years because they've been cyberbullied, and just recently we've just lost the first kid who committed suicide because her best friend had been cyberbullied and committed suicide six months before. So we now have one level beyond the cyberbullying, where kids have decided they can't live with what's happening to them. ...**

Source: Keeping Kids Safe - The Predator Fear | Growing Up Online | FRONTLINE | PBS

A woman would tend to have more in common with a teen girl than an adult male.

I suppose so, but males aren't -that- different then females. Furthermore, I think there is certainly some value in learning about how males are -different- then females as well. In schools, there seems to be a trend where there are less and less male teachers, perhaps in part due to the hysteria regarding male sexual predators. This can have a very negative effect, however, as both male and female minors are deprived of male role models.

When it comes to sex, men are certainly different than women, especially when it comes to sex with minors.

 

[ChrisL]

We teach our children NOT to associate with grown men on the internet for a damn good reason. It's not because parents want to be assholes. It is to protect children. Most adult men are not interested in forming friendships with teenage girls.

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

Pedophiles play a role in that.

Yes, adults who prey on minors certainly do play a role in that. But as has been mentioned here before, such adults generally do so within their own circles- their own families or children of their friends. Trying this type of thing online is likely to get them arrested, because parents and guardians are much more vigilant when it comes to people outside of their own circles.

That is not true.

I disagree...

**Very often the TV, radio and newspaper cover stories about children who are abused, abducted and even murdered, usually by strangers but it is important to know that these are not typical crimes. Sexual abusers are more likely to be people we know, and could well be people we care about; after all more than 8 out of 10 children who are sexually abused know their abuser. They are family members or friends, neighbours or babysitters – many hold responsible positions in society. Some will seek out employment which brings them into contact with children, some will hold positions of trust which can help to convince other adults that they are beyond reproach, making it hard for adults to raise their concerns.**

Source: Child sexual abuse questions answered

Facts and Statistics

Does that really matter? It is well known that children are in fact abused by strangers on the internet.

 

[phoenyx]

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

I certainly wouldn't do it. I'm not interested in making friends with teenagers.

Alright. But it seems clear that you don't mind -interacting- with them. You have even seemed to be downright friendly while doing it. Who knows, if you do it enough, you might even develop a friendship with one .

However, most internet predators are MEN. most pedophiles are MEN.

Fine. That being said, I think there's way too much hype about them. Here's a quote I found to be interesting:
**Everyone is panicking about sexual predators online, ... that's why parents are freaking. But what they really need to freak about and pay a lot more attention about is cyberstalking, harassment and cyberbullying ...

I talk to 10,000 teens and pre-teens a month in person, 10,000. We have polled 50,000 of these kids and found that between 85 and now 100 percent ... of the kids told me that they had been cyberbullied at least once. ....

We've had six kids that I'm aware of commit suicide in the United States in the last few years because they've been cyberbullied, and just recently we've just lost the first kid who committed suicide because her best friend had been cyberbullied and committed suicide six months before. So we now have one level beyond the cyberbullying, where kids have decided they can't live with what's happening to them. ...**

Source: Keeping Kids Safe - The Predator Fear | Growing Up Online | FRONTLINE | PBS

A woman would tend to have more in common with a teen girl than an adult male.

I suppose so, but males aren't -that- different then females. Furthermore, I think there is certainly some value in learning about how males are -different- then females as well. In schools, there seems to be a trend where there are less and less male teachers, perhaps in part due to the hysteria regarding male sexual predators. This can have a very negative effect, however, as both male and female minors are deprived of male role models.

When it comes to sex, men are certainly different than women, especially when it comes to sex with minors.

That's all you ever seem to focus on in this thread- sex. You seem to be forgetting that males do more then simply have sex. They can converse just like women. And they certainly know more about males, which I think is something that both genders could learn from.

 

[ChrisL]

Stats About Online Predators and Precautions Parents Should Take

The good news is that your child actually becoming the victim of an online predator is unlikely. The bad news is that according to FBI, “online predators are everywhere online,” and are working hard to engage children online. Predators aren’t scary looking and don’t stand out. They look like you or me or anyone down the street. They are “mostly male, although we are seeing an alarming trend of female predators. Male predators are often married with children. A professional, upstanding in the community but leading a deviant lifestyle through the Internet.”

Parents need to pay attention to their children’s online activity and take preventative measures to protect their children from online predators. No one wants their child to be that victim that we read about in the news all too frequently.

Stats parents should know:

• More than 500,000 predators are online everyday
• Kids 12 to 15 are susceptible to being groomed and manipulated by offenders online
• FBI stats show that more than 50 percent of victims of online sexual exploitation are 12-15 years old
• 89 percent of all sexual advances toward our children take place in internet chat rooms and through instant messaging
• In (27 percent) of exploitation incidents, predatorsasked kids for sexual photographs of themselves.
• 4 percent of kids get “aggressive” sexual solicitations that included attempts to contact the kids offline

How do predators connect with children online?
Chatrooms are predators' dream come true and are the predominant online location where predators meet kids. Sites like Omegle that invite kids to talk to strangers are a parent's nightmare. Teaching your child not to talk to strangers is one of the first lessons in life that a parent gives their child. There are hundreds of these sites. Kids are naturally curious and many kids visit them thinking it’s no big deal. Kids should not be on these sites, period. They are disturbing and ripe with nudity and explicit disgusting sexual behavior in addition to being havens for predators. Many gaming sites also have chatroom capabilities leaving a child vulnerable to potential exploitation. Many of these sites have webcam functionality. “There are ways to turn the webcam onwithout you knowing you’re being watched,” said an FBI Special Agent.

Predators can also find kids on Facebook and other social networking sites. They often create a fake identity online and may pose as a teenager, the child never the wiser. Many kids become friends with complete strangers online with 70 percent of kids accepting “friend” requestsregardless of whether they know who they are friending. A little less than half (43 percent) of teenagers who first met someone online later met them in real life.

 

[Disir]

No. There is no reason why an adult man should be interacting with young teen girls or boys, unless it is a parent, teacher or other family member.

But it's ok if it's an adult woman doing the interacting -.-?

Nope. It is not. In fact, I have been keeping a close eye on a couple of former female teachers that are in contact with my son.

 

[ChrisL]

What do you think a 14-year-old girl's parents would say if she told them about a 40-something-year-old man on the internet who was trying to make friends with her?

I can imagine various reactions. The bottom line, in my view, is that people of all ages will make friends with people of all ages. I think the important thing in a society is to try to ensure that the relationships anyone has are good ones. I think that trying to severe any type of interactions between adults and minors when not in a school setting can be worse. Tell me, have you seen the film "Lord of the Flies"?

Irrelevant. You, as an adult man, should not be befriending minors on the internet.

So if I was an adult woman, it would be ok?

I certainly wouldn't do it. I'm not interested in making friends with teenagers.

Alright. But it seems clear that you don't mind -interacting- with them. You have even seemed to be downright friendly while doing it. Who knows, if you do it enough, you might even develop a friendship with one .

However, most internet predators are MEN. most pedophiles are MEN.

Fine. That being said, I think there's way too much hype about them. Here's a quote I found to be interesting:
**Everyone is panicking about sexual predators online, ... that's why parents are freaking. But what they really need to freak about and pay a lot more attention about is cyberstalking, harassment and cyberbullying ...

I talk to 10,000 teens and pre-teens a month in person, 10,000. We have polled 50,000 of these kids and found that between 85 and now 100 percent ... of the kids told me that they had been cyberbullied at least once. ....

We've had six kids that I'm aware of commit suicide in the United States in the last few years because they've been cyberbullied, and just recently we've just lost the first kid who committed suicide because her best friend had been cyberbullied and committed suicide six months before. So we now have one level beyond the cyberbullying, where kids have decided they can't live with what's happening to them. ...**

Source: Keeping Kids Safe - The Predator Fear | Growing Up Online | FRONTLINE | PBS

A woman would tend to have more in common with a teen girl than an adult male.

I suppose so, but males aren't -that- different then females. Furthermore, I think there is certainly some value in learning about how males are -different- then females as well. In schools, there seems to be a trend where there are less and less male teachers, perhaps in part due to the hysteria regarding male sexual predators. This can have a very negative effect, however, as both male and female minors are deprived of male role models.

Why is it important to you to interact with minors online?

 

[phoenyx]

You may well be right on that count. But I can't help but think that society may play a role in that. Put simply, it's a political minefield these days.

Pedophiles play a role in that.

Yes, adults who prey on minors certainly do play a role in that. But as has been mentioned here before, such adults generally do so within their own circles- their own families or children of their friends. Trying this type of thing online is likely to get them arrested, because parents and guardians are much more vigilant when it comes to people outside of their own circles.

That is not true.

I disagree...

**Very often the TV, radio and newspaper cover stories about children who are abused, abducted and even murdered, usually by strangers but it is important to know that these are not typical crimes. Sexual abusers are more likely to be people we know, and could well be people we care about; after all more than 8 out of 10 children who are sexually abused know their abuser. They are family members or friends, neighbours or babysitters – many hold responsible positions in society. Some will seek out employment which brings them into contact with children, some will hold positions of trust which can help to convince other adults that they are beyond reproach, making it hard for adults to raise their concerns.**

Source: Child sexual abuse questions answered

Facts and Statistics

Does that really matter? It is well known that children are in fact abused by strangers on the internet.

Yes, ofcourse it matters. It means that the main danger when it comes to sexual abuse of minors comes from people within their own circles, not from online strangers. That doesn't mean that there aren't some cases where strangers are doing the abusing. But even there, it can only occur if the minors don't take certain precautions, such as not revealing their addresses, full names or phone numbers. I think the most important thing here is whether the benefits of minors interacting with adults online outweigh the potential drawbacks. I believe they do.