This question was raised by my husband after watching a Dateline Show where they had a sting. My question...do think teenagers really do give out their addresses and meet these men? Why or why not?
2006-10-01 01:51:02 · 18 answers · asked by Chris 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Why would young teens want to meet way older men?
2006-10-01 02:06:35 · update #1
It is NEVER okay for a teen to meet anyone from the internet lizziy M. If your doing this then you have some serious self esteem issues that you need addressed.
2006-10-01 02:23:22 · update #2
YES, teenagers really do give out their addresses and are that stupid to try to meet some of these predators on the internet.
That is why this single parent of two (now adult) children had only one central computer tied into the internet in my home -- because my STUPID Teens thought they knew everything, and guess what -- when I started looking at what MYSPACE site information was being put on there, and what they and their friends were willingly listing -- I GOT scared and ANGRY -- and had MY Teens pull the information OFF the site -- I could NOT allow my HOME or MY LIFE or THEIR LIVES to be endangered in that way.
Although they did not go out to meet anyone -- I did protect my home and all our lives while they were living in my home.
Now on their own -- it is their ADULT RESPONSIBILITY to take care and to have caution.
2006-10-01 02:02:25 · answer #1 · answered by sglmom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It really is a bigger problem than a lot of parents think. I saw a TV show where a guy was chatting with a teeneage girl- over the course of two weeks he had her school name, when she practiced softball and her number, her address- which he used to see when she was home alone...and a lot more. He had gone to her softball game and taken pictures of her. He came to her house one night- and told her parents everything and showed them pictures. He was working under cover for a TV show on Teens and the Internet. She was really lucky. I don't think all teens just want to meet these older guys for sex. A lot of them think they are "friends" and so over the course of a few days to a few months they give the information in the context of telling them about their daily lives. Also, on dateline- many of those guys said they were 22-27. It is older but 20 something guys are still attractive and so I think maybe some of these girls with lower self esteems are attracted to the attention and flattered that this person likes them. Not very many of the men told those girls -hey I am 45 fat and bald. Many of these girls are manipulated by these men and do go to meet them, many more feel it is safe becuase they are friends. I saw one girl who answered a newspaper ad for a baby sitting job. The guy picked her up to watch his kids and raped her. They are sick people who will try anything to get what they want. Teenage girls are emotional people, they trust too much and can't make the right decisions all the time. We, as parents have to be so careful and really supervise kids. Know where they are going , who they are with, and who they talk to- including on line. The key stroke recording programs are good. You can keep track of everything typed.
2006-10-01 09:27:19 · answer #2 · answered by therealprinsess 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
YEs, YES, & YES !!! I have just watched the dateline show the other night. I've caught them all. There are some sick perverts out there & the internet is just another ally for them to access young people to abuse for their own pleasure.
Teens go for older guys because it makes them feel like they are grown up when someone older than them makes them feel sophisticated. The guys are just toying with them, but the teens are totally clueless as to what's about to happen. They have no idea how perverted these older men are & how much danger they're in. It's also due to low self esteem. All teens have low self esteem, so you can't stop them from feeling that way (due to hormones) but as a parent of a young child, I'm going to watch my daughter like a hawk on the internet if she even gets much access at all. I don't really care how 'cool' it is to have a my space or something like that, I would rather have a safe child.
2006-10-01 09:17:40 · answer #3 · answered by pritigrl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
TV is always going to exaggerate things because they are selling a product, "entertainment".
I would hate to think that there were that many really stupid teenagers out there, and while that wasn't my experience I would suppose to some degree its true.
I monitored my kids computer time, however I also trusted them to not do stupid things if they could help it, so I never worried about them "talking" to strangers.
However in just the short time since they were teens (5years), the internet is a whole different world than it was.
2006-10-01 08:56:34 · answer #4 · answered by tjnstlouismo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they do. A lot of the times these older men pose as teenagers themselves to prey on young girls.
Ive run into quite a few over my years. And i know a few friends and even relatives who have given their addresses and personal information out to strangers on the Internet.
Teenagers are very easily persuaded.
2006-10-01 09:34:12 · answer #5 · answered by amosunknown 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I not only think it, I know it.
I've been on many a time in chat rooms and message boards where I've been contacted by a teen or younger. They just have no idea what chances they may be taking.
Watch out for your children, make sure you know what they are doing on the internet. It is not the safest place in the world.
Good luck.
2006-10-01 08:59:41 · answer #6 · answered by wetsaway 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they REALLY do. WHen I was sixteen I went on a date with a 26 year old man that I met online. Girls are looking for someone to pay attention to them, maybe they have poor relationships with their fathers, or maybe they just want the excitement of doing something "wrong" or illegal, as many teens do. The truth is girls do it all the time for lots of different reasons. It's horrible, but it's reality.
2006-10-01 13:22:23 · answer #7 · answered by dixiechic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just go to Google News and type in Myspace. These girls, and sometimes guys, do the stupidest stuff. One story I read was a 16 year old girl was going to meet a guy in Egypt! The police finally caught her as she was bording the plane! I don't think they truely understand what horrible things could happen to them by meeting strangers. It's the usual cliche of "It will never happen to me".
2006-10-01 09:28:09 · answer #8 · answered by BAnne 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've met a few people off the internet....My husband i met from a friend who had met him offline. I think its okay as long as someone goes with you...i didnt give out my address we just met at a public place like a skating rink or the mall ....its fun to get to know people and i dont have self esteem issues lol but thanks!
2006-10-01 09:33:45 · answer #9 · answered by cutenwild1769 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am almost 17 years old.. And trust me. I do give out my address and such on the internet. .we want to meet older men because they seem so much better than the kids we go to school with. They sit on the internet and tell us how bad our family life is.. and they make us feel so welcomed and mature for our ages.. So, of course we want to meet them.. It's just the way we feel.. so we invite them to our house.. and we meet them... some say it's wrong but coming from a teenager it is okay
2006-10-01 09:19:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋