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The most effective defense mechanism is to educate the child about how they can keep themselves safe. Children need to remember they should never give out their real name, age, or where they live to a stranger. Chat rooms are where online predators target most. Since chat rooms are private and are likely not going to have adults watching, predators use them to find their victims. Before a child is to talk to someone they do not know online, the child should talk with their parents or guardians about this person. If a predator is sending a child messages, they need to know it is not their fault. Predators try to make the child feel as if they are the one to blame for responding to a predator. Online predators attempt to get into the child’s comfort zone by making it seem as if they are trying to be their friend. Children need to make sure they tell an adult if they feel uncomfortable about someone on the internet. After a child tells a parent or guardian, they will then take action in calling the police. Children may feel scared when it comes to this because they will be asked many questions or even get their computers searched. Parents need to make sure that they explain to the child that what the other person was doing is wrong and is against the law. By knowing how to recognize a predator, it can help children. If a person starts talking to the child, the child should ask themselves these questions: is this person extremely nice, have they asked you to meet in person, asking if you are in a relationship, and do they have a strange username. By children asking themselves these questions, they can prevent being a victim. Tips for children and teens include not using provocative or sexy names, be careful on what thin...

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...h technology, parents need to make sure they upkeep with the technology. If parents are not up to date with the technology children can be at a greater chance of meeting an online predator.

With increasing amounts of technology and social forums, the risk of online predation has never been higher. Children and parents can both find ways to prevent online predators. By being informed, parents can decrease the chances of their child become a victim. Even though the internet has helped society tremendously by letting us keep in touch with people all over the world, it has also caused conflict. The red flags are obvious and should be seen by parents fairly easily. As long as a parent shows interest in what the child is doing, predation should never occur. Predators are everywhere, and if parents do not keep up with their children, something can happen to them.