Online predators access young people wherever they can find them.

Remember that predators aren’t looking to victimize every child they meet; they know that’s not realistic. They are willing to sift through hundreds of casual contacts in order to find kids who are vulnerable enough to willingly go with them down the road of grooming. The most vulnerable children spend a great deal of time online, have access to places where they can communicate with strangers, and have a casual attitude about posting private information.

In the next few sections, I address several prominent points of access online. This list is not comprehensive, and will no doubt evolve and shift over time. However, it’s a good starting point.