Safety
Tips for Teens
We all want to think that people are honest.
Unfortunately they are not. There are some sick people out there
who want to befriend us and take advantage of us ... even hurt
us.
The FBI estimates 2300 Youths are reported missing everyday.
Young
people can be kidnapped by strangers, by a family member or even
someone they know. The most common form of kidnapping is when
the kidnapper is a parent or guardian ... and where most victims
are not physically harmed. The Internet has become the "electronic
stranger" whereby victims, usually teens, are lured into
meeting with someone they’ve met on the Internet.
So many young people say they would never meet a stranger on the
Internet, yet given any number of reasons, many have. They trusted
strangers who made things sound exciting. Many have been kidnapped
and lucky to be brought home to their parents. Sadly, many never
made it home.
The
FBI has initiated a program called Innocent Images
to deal with Internet-related crimes including kidnapping. Each
FBI office throughout the country has two Special Agents assigned
to investigate crimes against youth Pedophiles are sexually attracted
to children, mostly in their adolescence. Pedophiles always look
for opportunities to be near and around children and teens.
Pedophiles
are sexually attracted to children, mostly in their adolescence.
Pedophiles always look for opportunities to be near and around
children and teens.
Take
safety precautions:
•
The
obvious … never go anywhere with someone you don’t
know
•
Never accept gifts from strangers
•
Never
give out personal information about yourself, your family situation,
your school, your telephone number, or your address.
•
If
you are aware of the sharing, use, or viewing of child pornography
online, immediately report this to the police.
•
When
in chatrooms remember that not everyone may be who they say they
are. Someone could tell you they are a 16 year-old
high school boy in your town and in reality they could
be a 50 year-old man from a totally different state. When in chatrooms
remember one thing … be very leery of what stranger
tells you …do not believe them. Pedophiles will
try to find out if you’re having problems at home and earn
your trust. They will tell you that they are falling
in love with you and want to meet you, that they can make
things better for you. THEY CAN'T ... THEY ONLY WANT TO
HARM YOU!
•
If
you have a friend who you know is thinking of meeting someone
from a chatroom …talk to them and explain they
could be hurt or worse. Tell a trusted adult. You could be saving
their life.
•
If
someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate, or does
anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, contact
your Internet service provider and the police.
A
friend you meet online may not be the best person to talk to if
you are having problems at home, with your friends, or at school.
If you can't find an adult in your school, church, club, or neighborhood
to talk to, a good place to find help is our Kids &
Teens If You Need Help section. If you are having problems
at home, a friend from online may not be the best person to talk
to. If you do not have an adult you can talk to, click on Kids
& Teens If You Need Help section.
There are many resources available to help you. Although some
of your online friends may seem to really listen to you, the list
of help resources will give you contacts who will give you honest
and helpful useful answers to some of the questions you may be
having when you are depressed, abused, or thinking about running
away.
Internet Service Providers (ISP) have rules about online behavior.
If you disobey an ISP's rules, your ISP could penalize you by
disabling your account, and often every account in a household,
either temporarily or permanently.
