How to Avoid Being Mistaken for an Online Child Predator

I know what you're thinking: Why would anyone strive to achieve becoming an online child predator? But that is precisely the point. Internet traffic travels down so many roads that it is very easy to get caught up in all types of trouble. The proliferation of online entertainment has made it even easier for child predators to hide out in an effort to execute their lurid fantasies. What people fail to realize is that children are huge contributors to these incidents, as their yearning to grow up quickly (and achieve social acceptance) often entices the predators out of hiding. But because they are children, it is up to the responsible adults of the world to look out for them. Chat rooms and other public online environments (like Myspace, amongst others) are just the places where teens and adolescents love to hang out. It's exciting to them. But they are not always cognizant of all the dangers around them. So here are some things you can do to protect someone's child from internet prowlers, while keeping yourself off "Dateline" in the process.

1) Ask For Age- If you're online chatting with someone, and something seems a little "off" with the conversation, it's a good idea to go ahead and ask for the age of the person you're communicating with. Sure, kids will lie. But if they do, you'll have some ammunition to go on. A person who is really twenty-one, instead of fourteen will more than likely have no hesitation about.

Ironically, some kids are quite honest, and will reveal their true age without much coaxing. The point here is to try to ensure that the person you're talking to is who he/she says he/she is.