Everyone wants to know how many predators are online and how likely it is that their kids will be victimized. People who aren't online think that the problem is bigger than it really is, and many experienced Internet users usually think it is smaller than
Cyberpredators, just like their offline counterparts, usually aren't the scary, hairy monsters in trench coats we imagine standing on a dark street corner.
Many parents want to know the early warning signs of a preteen or young teens becoming engaged in a cybersexual relationship or their being groomed by an Internet sexual predator.
"Grooming" is the way sexual predators get from bad intentions to sexual exploitation. Basically, grooming is manipulation. It's the process pedophiles use to get children they target online to meet with them offline, the simple goal being sex.
Parents who are familiar with typical warning signs of a child connecting with an Internet predator are better prepared to intervene and protect their child.
Now that our kids' entire circles of friends are in public spaces on the Web, blending the details of their personal and social lives with messages and images from people with all sorts of interests and intentions, it's a good idea for them to get a handl