What Makes Children Susceptible To Online Predators?

The natural emotional make up of children and adolescent teenagers very often facilitates victimization.

Regardless of what you may think about your own child, children of all ages lack the emotional maturity of an adult, and that can make them more susceptible to emotional, physical manipulation and or intimidation for a variety of reasons.

Additionally children often have a strong need for attention, validation, and affection. If the child's emotional needs are not being met sufficiently by friends or family it is not a typical for child to look elsewhere to have those needs met, psychologically speaking.

Combine trade with a lack of caution & prudence and you have a recipe for potential abuse.

Remember, children are taught, even conditioned to respect adults and to obey their requests and demands. As a result children may be confused as to when it isn't appropriate to do so, as one might find in the case of online psychological manipulation and abuse and online pedophile or predator.

Lastly, children may often be reluctant to tell a trusted adult if they are being approached in inappropriate or scary way because of embarrassment, and the fear that they will be judged by the parent or adult.

And in some cases even the stigma of being a "tattletale" is enough to prevent the adolescent child from seeking the safety of parental intervention.

therefore, if you suspect your child or a child that you know is in danger, it is your duty to get them to understand that they are not at fault and that YOU as an adult are there now to take care of them and situation.

President & CEO,
PCTattletale.Com