In chatrooms just like Whyville, there are online predators. Whyville does everything it can to protect us, but you can't be 100% sure you're safe, even with someone you met in Whyville. Of the 32,000 leads reported to the CyberTipLine at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 3,262 involve what they call "online enticement," and most start in places like online chatrooms.

The victims of online predators are usually children, though not always. These predators are mostly male, but some are female, too.

Predators try to find someone who is vulnerable, then they often invite their target to a private room. They usually ask for your a/s/l (age, sex, location) first so they can claim to be the same age, or something close to it. Beware of someone who insists on getting your info first. Usually these people are older, not as young as they say they are.

Predators next usually ask if you have Instant Message, MSN, Yahoo, etc. Then they will ask for your e-mail, then later for your phone number, and then finally for a face-to-face meeting. This process can take weeks and months, so that friend you've known since New Year's might not be a 13-year-old in Ontario after all!

Ontario, you laugh? Predators only exist in the U.S.? Think again! This issue happens not only in the U.S, but in many other countries as well.

I strongly, strongly urge you to NEVER have a face-to-face meeting with someone you met on the Internet. It doesn't matter how well you feel you get to know them. These people may act like they're 13, but really they're 33, or 53, or more. Even another 13-year-old could be unsafe to meet in person.

If you're even thinking about meeting up, talk with your parents first. They should set you straight.

Online predators know how to manipulate children well, and it takes about a month for them to turn a child into their victim, experts say. In some cases, when the child thinks the predator is also a child, the "predator" will say, "My dad will pick you up in his car." Since the victim thinks the other person is a child, they will get in the car with the predator, thinking it is their online buddy's father!

You must be cautious at all times on the internet. The predator may even send you pictures that seem to be of a really normal teenager, saying that they're pictures of them, but it is really not! There's no way for you to be sure who are in those photos. Online predators have all kinds of ways for dragging a child into their schemes.

If you have ever encountered a person like this, you probably already know to never give out your address or your phone number. It's very easy to track a person down using their phone number, even a cell phone. You should also be careful about giving out details of your personal life, like the name of the sports team you play on, and definitely don't tell strangers your jersey number! Giving out your school name can be risky -- how easy it would be to find your school! -- as well as your church or anywhere else you go on a regular basis.

If a person online asks for your phone number, or address, I would consult your parent. In Whyville, please use the 911-report tool, because asking for any of this information is considered EXTREMELY against the rules of Whyville.

If you and your parents decide it really is okay to have a face-to-face meeting with an online friend, bring a parent or big adult with you. NEVER, never go by yourself! If your parent is there, and the person you're meeting is an online predator, they will most likely be scared away.

In summary, you have to keep your safety up on the internet 24/7! You have no way of knowing who is on the other side of that chat bubble unless you know that person in real life. Even then, it's not necessarily your friend -- somebody else could have gotten onto your friend's account, so even when you're chatting with your friends, you should be careful and sensitive to giving out personal info they should already know.

I have encountered someone I think was a predator before in an AIM chatroom, but I never gave in to the person.

If you notice, in Whyville you usually get muted if you give out your phone number, so there's yet another reason not to do it. Even in Whyville you have to be safe, because these online predators are everywhere on the internet.

All this doesn't mean to stop chatting or anything like that. It just means to be careful, and don't give out information that is too personal! If you think I am making all this up to scare you, you should know that there was a little 8-year-old boy who was killed where I live because he met up with one of these online predators.

This is a serious situation, not a joking one.


Here's Snowgri13, urging you to be safe.

p.s. I got some information at this website: http://www.larrysworld.com/articles/sjm_chatrooms.htm. Be aware that this webpage describes things in a lot more graphic detail than I have here; you should get your parents' permission before viewing it.