Why are my parents so paranoid about online predators?

Question

This girl imd me a couple of hours ago and i started talking to her. There was nothing wrong with that. I wasnt giving away any important info or anything. So I told my dad about her (she had a really good sense of humor so I thought I should tell him about it) and he's all like "do you know this person and" im like no. Then he goes all crazy saying "this girl could be a 40 year old man!" OMG It was so anoying! anyway why is he so paranoid? Im not stupid or anything! >=(

Answer 1

Kudos to your parents.

Answer 2

Your parents have a right to be worried because there have been a lot of recent problems with this kind of thing. As to him worrying about it being a 40 year old man, it could also be a 40 year old woman, predators come in all genders, remember all the recent female school teachers they have caught.

Take for instance this answer, I am a father of two daughters, and I worry about their safety every single day, they have myspace accounts, and although I would rather they did not, I cannot lock them up in a room and prohibit them from doing everything, I have had to realize that I have to learn to trust my children and that as a parent if I give them the right direction in right and wrong and trust them to follow it then that is the only way they will grow and learn. They will make mistakes, everyone does, but If I teach them correctly there should not be many, and if I keep a good relationship with them, as I have, they will come to me as you did to your dad and ask my advice or tell me about what they are doing. The last thing I would want is for them to become secretive, because then the problems start.

Give your father a break, he is learning, and in time he will learn to temper his protective instincts as a parent with trust once he realizes that his daughter can be trusted and has a good head on her shoulders.

Your job, is to make sure you never break the trust he puts in you.

Let dad read this if you want, but you need to heed his words too, someday when you become a parent, you will think back on it and realize we were right.

Answer 3

It isn't that you're stupid, it's that they are very very smart and sneaky. This could be a man pretending to be a girl, they do this, and other things too.
Have you not been reading even some of these questions on these sites? I've turned in many of them because they come right out and ask for sex from girls 15 or 16 years old, and on this site! They know they shouldn't be this bold, so they disguise themselves as someone lonely or wanting a friend and give their e-mail address. Be very careful. They have been doing this for awhile so they're better at being sneaky then you are at watching for it.
Just don't go to meet her, it will probably come to that at some time, if it does then you will really know, if you've told her where you live, you've already gone to far.

Answer 4

You may not be stupid sweetie, but even the most experienced of us online can be fooled...your folks are concerned about you, with good reason...too many people who would prey on others use the internet for really horrid reasons...it's great that you are careful, and keep showing your parents that you are cautious when you speak with someone you don't know in person...bravo you for having good sense to do that...

...but know they can't help but worry because they hear the news and read the papers and can't imagine how they'd feel if something like what they hear/read about were to happen to you, their beloved child...cut 'em some slack, they're parents...it's cliche' but it's one of those "you'll understand when you're a parent" kind of things...

Wouldn't you rather they freaked out and got paranoid, than didn't care at all and weren't looking out for you?

Answer 5

wow. this is tough. I do want to start off by saying that this is the reason why you shouldn't talk to people you don't know. it ok, but once you share personal info with them this is what can happen. You go yourself into a situation. I would call an anomynous help line. if you don't feel like you can then don't. you don't have enough information to *give* him help. all you know is that he is joey and he is 14. you tried to help him. and I think he is a predator. He is. block him and don't ever talk to him. get a different MSN. delete your myspace. and create a new runscape. he is ruining your life. you tried to help him. and he wouldn't take your help. like I said in the other question: tell him that your mom found out about your myspace and you have to delete everything. its the easiest way to go. and I really think it was a bad idea for you to tell him that you love him back. its in the past so hey, what can you do. but in the future don't do that. good luck!

Answer 6

Be glad that your parents really cares about your safety. They're only doing what's best for you so this "girl", which could be a forty year old man, won't find out where you live. You have to be careful about online predators whether you give out any information or not because they can find out where you live with one slip of information. The email that akgirl1105 sent you really helps you to understand. I recieved that email too from my friend.

Answer 7

Your father doesn't want anything bad to happen to you. He may sound paranoid and he may over-react, but he's probably heard stories of teenage girls who were hurt and killed by meeting "friends" that they made online. Stories like that make the news often these days.

As long as you're not meeting friends that you've met online or giving out personal information, you're probably safe.

One way to keep your parents from being worried is by keeping them informed. If they know who you're talking to and that you're not meeting anyone, they'll probably relax in time.

It isn't easy being a teen, but it also isn't easy to be the father of a teen. (I'm 52 and have two teens, 14 and 16.) Good luck.

Answer 8

Because he knows that that girl could be a 40 year old man. Listen, girls just like you have been kidnapped, raped, or even murdered by sexual predators and child molesters that they've met over the web. These people don't tell you that they are pedophiles. They act nice and friendly and youthful to lure you into giving them information or getting you to agree to meet them. Never, never, never assume that someone is exactly who they say they are over the Internet. It could be that she is just a nice girl or it could be that she is a vicious child molester who wants nothing better than to get his hands on you. How much are you willing to risk just to trust someone you talked to over the Internet?

Answer 9

It's nice to talk to other from e-mail and IM...But I understand your parents and agree with them...You really do not know who you are talking to over the net....A lot of SICKO both men and woman use the Internet to find teenage boys and girls...They will tell you anything they have to in order to try to meet you...Then if that mistake is made by you alot of very bad things can happen to you...You can be kidnapped, raped, killed, given HIV/AIDS, and the list goes on so be very careful when you chat to a stranger...

Answer 10

Your parents are not paranoid they are just being protective. You might think over protective, but really they are not. There is just too many sickos out in the world that want to abduct and hurt people. I would say children but unfortunately it happens to adults too. So just relax and remember your dad loves you allot and only wants what is best for you.

Answer 11

Because these on-line predators are in it for only one thing--SEX. If they find out where you live, or go to school, they will HUNT YOU DOWN. They could try and set up a seemingly innocent meeting and KIDNAP or even RAPE you. You never know just who you are talking with on-line so NEVER give out ANY personal data. If they insist then LIE to them.

Your dad is only trying to protect you. It's the job of every parent to worry about their children. Show this to your father and I bet he will agree with me.