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I Am Kim
The Facts
Games that aren't designed only for kids have fewer controls, settings, and safeguards
Only 5 percent of online predators pretend they're kids. Most reveal that they're older -- which is especially appealing to 12-to-15-year-olds who are most often targeted
Some predators initiate sexual talk or request pictures immediately and back off if refused. They're in it for an immediate result.
In contrast, some predators engage in "bunny hunting," which is the process of picking a potential victim for "grooming": They'll look at social media posts and public chats to learn about the kid first.
Once they've selected someone, they may begin the grooming phase, which often involves friending the target's contacts, engaging in increasingly personal conversations to build trust, taking the conversation to other platforms (like instant messaging), requesting pictures, and finally requesting offline contact
Sometimes if a kid shares one compromising picture, a predator will engage in "sextortion," which involves demanding more pictures or contact under threat of exposure or harm.
How to help protect your child
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Talk with your child. Explain to them the dangers of talking to strangers online.
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create a safe and trustworthy space between you and your child, don't scare them into thinking they will be in trouble. that is a scare technique that predators use saying the child will be in trouble for speaking to their parent about the predator.
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Bring them to safety seminars.
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Download connection apps so you can see what they are seeing.