What are the Potential Dangers of Chat Rooms?
Whilst there are many benefits in children using chat rooms there are a number of issues that can cause concern.
Children can often waste time ‘chatting’ thus letting other responsibilities - such as homework or tasks around the house, go by the wayside.
Children can also be in danger of under-developing their social skills by relying on Internet chat as their primary source of communication.
There is however, a greater potential danger that can occur with children using chat rooms and instant messaging programs.
Participants in chat rooms will sometimes attempt to entice children into talking about sex in one form or another and paedophiles have been found in chat rooms in jurisdictions all over the world.
There have been cases where children have met up with these people and as a consequence, have been seriously abused or worse.
Paedophiles will try to make as many online relationships as possible, in order to find a child who will be willing to meet them.
They rely on creating a sense of trust by listening to problems and pretending to be interested in what the children are doing.
Paedophiles are very good at piecing together snippets of information that might reveal the identity of the child such as, what school they go to, what sport they play and when they play it.
An overall picture of the child is made and the chances of meeting up with them are determined.