How Does an Internet Predator Behave?

A number of social ills emerge at the intersection of technology and our moral lives, and most of them have a strong component of personal agency on the part of a potential victim. This topic of online predators is no exception; children who become victims of predators almost always actively participate in the process and unwittingly play into the hands of the predator. On the one hand, childhood is full of childish mistakes, and we expect our children to do naïve and foolish things. But when predators are involved, childish indiscretions play into the hand of a much older and savvier individual who may be relentless in pursuit of contact with a victim. In other words, an online predator may focus specifically on your child and pursue contact to whatever extent he’s permitted. If this game of cat and mouse is allowed to continue, the cat typically wins.

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