Understanding the predator

One of the most crucial parts of protecting our children against the dangers is to understand the dangers ourselves. We must educate ourselves on the different kinds of dangers our children could come across. These include paedophiles, cyber bullies, scammers and phishers among others. These predators target children who post a lot of personal information and photographs online. Once they have basic details, it is easy for them to approach the child online. Around 80% of the cybercrimes against children have progressed because the perpetrator gathered personal information that was easily available on social media.

 

Once they have made their initial contact with the child, they often try to identify the weak spots and work their way up from there. They gain the trust and boost confidence of the child by complimenting them and promising them things, often denied to them by their parents. Once they have won the child’s trust, they can easily convince the child to meet them or hand out any information they need. Paedophiles try to meet the child in person and sexualize the relationship. They can continue to maintain a control over the child by using threats, blackmailing and instilling fear.