Staying Safe

In my first Blog Post, I mentioned Online Predators. In a nutshell Online Predators are people who commit child sexual abuse that begins or takes place on the Internet. This needs to be brought up and have more awareness for many reasons. One; most children are not educated or not educated enough about this topic. If we could teach kids how to be safe Online, there would be a lot less of this crime going on. Two; some parents are not educated enough in this field. If more parents knew the signs of a predator, then more of these instances can be avoided or cut off before it goes out of control. And finally; our society is mostly based off of modern technology. This allows Predators to stalk in the depthness that is the internet and can get away scott-free. If we educate and teach more individuals about this issue, more events like these can be stopped. There has been cases where some police units are trying to bring up awareness, however it is not brought up enough on a global scale. So what are some of the signs of an Online Predator? According to the Washington Police there are several tricks Online Predators use including, but not limiting to; chatting privately, flattery, intimidation, asking for personal information, and sympathy. The main way predators lure in their victims is by ‘grooming’. “Grooming is how online predators manipulate children into meeting in real life with their sole goal of having sex with them. Predators will spend weeks, months, and/or possibly years "grooming" their victims before asking them to meet in real life.”

In my second Blog Post, to find out how much our students actually know, I gave out a quick survey regarding Online predators. Most people in fact did not know the first signs which are chatting privately, flattery, intimidation, asking for personal information, and sympathy. Participants stated that the first signs were asking to meet up or pictures. These are when the Predator already has you in their grip. So this means children are being taught what the most noticeable signs are, but not necessarily the first red flags.

For my agent of change I decided to bring my project closer to the SLA community. I wanted to actively show how to stay safe on the internet. I wanted to make a direct impact. My solution to this was to give a presentation about Online Predators and how to stay safe on the internet. So that’s what I did. I created a google presentation and showed some of my classmates and advises what to do Online and what to look out for. The video can be played below.

Doing this project was definitely an adventure. From having no idea what to do, to making a great presentation, to scheduling presentation dates, rescheduling. Overall it was challenging, but still felt like I made a difference, no matter how small. If I could’ve done this again, I would definitely done something a little more big. Maybe a presentation at a middle school or at TFI. If you still want to make a difference, learn the signs, be safe, and tell others. After all one person saved is another gained to spread the word.