Lesson 4
Lesson 4 – AVOIDING ONLINE PREDATORS
Teacher Preparation
Key Concepts
1. Online sexual predators pose a serious threat to adolescents.
2. It is important for students to know how to recognize and protect themselves from
online sexual predators.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. Understand and explain the dangers online sexual predators present to adolescents.
2. Identify some of the methods used by online predators.
3. List guidelines for maintaining online safety.
Key Terms
Online sexual predator: A teen or adult who uses the Internet to exploit children and/or teens with the intention of inflicting sexual abuse. Emotional and psychological abuse occur as well to the victim.
Background Information
The strategy: More than inspiring fear in our kids, we want to arm them with information. So when you talk to your students, tell them there is a chance someone could approach them online to get personal information, exchange pictures, and/or meet in person–and it might be someone who feels like an online friend. It is not the norm and it is also not a reason to be afraid all the time. It is simply a reason to be aware and know that if someone starts asking for personal information or talking about sexual things, it is time to get help from an adult. [Source: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/the-facts-about-online-predators-every-parent-should-know]
Materials and Preparation
For the Cyber Safety Group Exercise, you will need one sheet of blank paper for each group.
Beginning the Lesson
Story
About 5 minutes
Today, we will hear a story about Natalie’s suitor.
[For purposes of clarity, you might have one student read Natalie’s part and another student read Peter’s part.]
“Is this Natalie?” The text had no caller ID.
“Who is this?”
“Oh, sorry! We met online a couple of months ago and I just ran across your photo and thought I would text.”
“You still have not told me your name.”
“My name is Peter.”
“Tell me again where we met.”
“I cannot remember. But here is my picture. Perhaps it will jog your memory.”
“Not really. Was it the charity drive for the orphans or perhaps the kids about to age out of the system?”
“Yes! That’s where we met. Good memory.”
It all began innocently enough. Natalie thought so little about the occasional text or email from “Peter” that she had not even told her friends or parents. Peter sounded friendly and he really seemed to understand her (not like most of the boys in her class). He was also cute, judging by his photo. They became online friends and he slowly gained access to more of her world and her trust. Peter even sent her a little friendship bracelet with her name on it for her birthday.
“Guess who is coming to town!” Peter texted. “Our school choir is competing at the regional contest held right where you live! What are the odds? I was thinking maybe we could meet while I am in town. Interested?”
“Sounds like fate to me!” texted Natalie. “I will ask my parents if you can come over to our apartment for a visit.”
“Wow! I am going to have to work up my nerve just meeting you face to face, I cannot imagine meeting your parents at the same time,” texted Peter. “I would not inflict my parents on anyone if I could help it! They are all right as far as parents go, but it would be sooo awkward. EEEK! Give a guy a break. Is there not someplace else we could meet?”
“There are lots of places, I suppose. When does the regional contest end?”
“Kind of late—10:30 p.m. is what the schedule says.”
“I do not think my parents will agree to me meeting you that late at night.”
“You know the old saying, ‘It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.’”
“Ah, I do not know . . .”
“You are right. Bad idea. Who knows, maybe another opportunity may present itself someday. I am sorry I will miss you.”
“Hey, do not give up so quick.”
They eventually decided a quiet park across the street from her home would be the best place to meet. Natalie almost felt as though the entire meeting was her idea. Even so, something troubling was stirring just beneath the surface of her mind.
_____
The night came and Natalie quietly slipped out of her apartment dressed in one of her favorite outfits. She crossed over into the park. The large trees cast deep shadows everywhere and there was no one in sight. Even though she knew this park quite well, it felt exciting and a bit dangerous.
Suddenly her phone rang.
“Get out of there, right now!”
“Is this Peter?” demanded Natalie.
“Peter does not exist,” the strange voice continued.
“Stop, you are scaring me!”
“Good! You ought to be scared! Run!”
Natalie started to shake as she looked around. A chill ran up her spine. She bolted for the street and home. She ran up the stairs, locked the door to her room, and hugged her pillow as hard as she could. She thought she was going to throw up. Eventually she did.
Tony and Darlene
8:15 p.m.
To: Natalie
Re: Online Predators
______________________
Dear Natalie,
A wise man said, “Our hearts are made to love and are ill employed until they
do.” That is a fancy way of saying love is the great motivator in life. After what
happened to you, there is at least one more thing we need to do with our hearts—guard
them! It is so easy to give our hearts to the wrong thing, but finding the right one to give
our heart to is the great adventure of life! And that requires something not easily
gained—discernment, which is the ability to understand something that is obscure; and
having insight, perception, and wisdom. But, hey! You just took a huge step in that
direction.
We are proud of you,
Tony and Darlene
t.d.maranara247@naviga.com
= 5 minutes
Discussing the Story
About 10-15 minutes
Let us think together about what happened in this chapter of the story. I have a question for just the girls in class.
Girls, when in the story did you become alarmed for Natalie and why?
[Allow about five minutes for the girls to share their thoughts with the rest of the class.]
Now, boys, here is a question just for you.
If Natalie were your little sister or a close friend and told you from the beginning about texting with Peter, when in the story would you have become alarmed for Natalie and why?
[Allow about five minutes for the boys to discuss. Then, if time allows, take a few
minutes to allow the class to further discuss their responses or ask questions about the
responses.]
= 20 minutes
Cyber Safety Group Exercise
About 20 minutes
There are ways you can protect yourself from online predators. We are going to develop some Cyber Safety Tips to help keep each other safe.
[Divide the class into groups of four with no mixed gender groups. In each group assign
a leader and a reporter.
Make the point that girls are not the only people to be the objects of electronic predators. Boys are also the targets of a variety of predators. (One source states that about 30 percent of Internet sexual exploitation victims are boys: www.puresight.com/Pedophiles/Online-Predators/online-predators-statistics.html)
[Give the recorder of each boy’s group a piece of paper.
Ask the recorder of each boy’s group to title the paper you just gave him, “Danger signals that should never be ignored.”]
Boys, write on the piece of paper you have been given several danger signals girls or boys should never ignore.
[Give the recorder of each girl’s group a piece of paper.
The recorder of each girl’s group should write on the top of the paper you gave her, “Guidelines for Protection from Electronic Predators.”
Girls, your group assignment is to develop a set of guidelines for your little sisters or brothers to keep them as safe as possible from electronic predators.
[Tell the groups they have five minutes to work as groups before they each report to the whole class.
Start with boy’s reports.
Pick a boy’s group and ask the reporter to tell the class just one danger signal they think girls should pay attention to. Continue with the next boy’s group until each group has shared one danger signal.
Pick a girl’s group and ask the reporter to tell the class just one guideline they think little sisters should pay attention to. Continue with the next girl’s group until each group has shared one guideline.
If the students do not mention the following tips, make sure you discuss these points and have a student add them to the lists on the board:
• Do not talk to unknown or unfamiliar people.
• Do not post any personal information (home address, cell phone number, or your current location) on your social media accounts you would not want strangers to see.
• Do not believe claims by disguised perpetrators that they are photographers, producers, and others who will make you rich and famous.
• Do not accept invitations to “parties” from anyone you do not know and trust.
• Do not be lured by lines commonly used to recruit people, such as, “You are pretty,” “You could make some money,” or “I am here for you.”
Information from: https://withtwowings.org/how-to-protect-yourself-and-your-family-from-Internet-predators]
Always talk with your parent or a trusted adult about online conversations you suspect may be with a cyber predator.
Ending the Lesson
Journal Activity About 5 minutes
Record in your journal the three Cyber Safety Tips you think will be the most helpful to you. Explain how and why they will help you.
= 45 minutes
GOING DEEPER
Now we will look more closely at Tony’s email to Natalie. He wrote:
“A wise man said, ‘Our hearts are made to love and are ill employed until they do.’ That’s a fancy way of saying love is the great motivator in life. After what happened to you there is at least one more thing we need to do with our hearts—guard them! It is so easy to give our hearts to the wrong thing but finding the right one to give our heart to is the great adventure of life!”
In fact, the man who is credited with being the wisest person who ever lived was a king named Solomon. He said to guard or carefully watch over your heart because from your heart flow the springs of life.*
What does it mean to “guard or watch over your heart”? [Give students a couple of minutes to respond. Possible answers: Be very careful about whom or what you give your affection to; make wise decisions about what you do or whom you love.]
Why do you think that Tony suggested that guarding her heart would keep Natalie safe from online sexual predators? [Give students a couple of minutes to respond. Possible answers: Sexual predators play on emotions to entrap their victims; heart attitudes are important for making wise decisions.]
The wise man said, “From your heart flow the springs of life.” What does this mean? [Give students a couple of minutes to respond. Possible answers: What we give our hearts or affections to determine our true happiness and satisfaction in life.]
Guarding Your Heart Activity
How do you guard your heart? That is the important question we are going to consider. The attitude of our heart determines the success we have in guarding our heart. We will look at nine contrasting attitudes.
[Pick two students. Assign one to the right side of the chalkboard or whiteboard and the other to the left side, where they will write out the lists you dictate. Ask the rest of your students to write the two lists in their journals.
Dictate the following lists, one contrast at a time, to your students:]
Guarding Your Heart Contrasting Attitudes
Pursues only excitement/Pursues life goals
Appreciates advice/Rejects advice
Teachable and eager to learn/Unteachable and thinks he or she already knows
Sees self-discipline as constraining/Practices self-discipline
Gives respect to others/Expects respect from others
Pursues life goals/Independent thinker
Questions ideas that feel good/Easily accepts ideas that feel good
Rejects criticism/Accepts criticism
Seeks popularity/Values true friendships
Independent thinker/Influenced by peer pressure
[The students who wrote the lists on the board may sit down.]
In your journals, circle the attitudes you think will help you guard your heart.
Ask your students one at a time to come to the chalkboard and circle one attitude that will help them and others to guard their hearts. Use check/tick marks for multiple responses to an attitude.
Take the two attitudes that received the most check marks, one at a time, and ask:
How will this attitude help you guard your heart [Allow several students to respond.]
How will this attitude help keep you safe from online sexual predators? [Allow several students to respond.]
Today we learned that guarding or watching over your hearts can keep you safe
and help you truly find happiness and satisfaction.
[*This quote was taken from Proverbs 4:23 in the Bible.]
Parent-Teacher Connection
Have your young person tell you the story from class about Natalie and Peter.
Ask about the ways young people can protect against sexual predators.
Being the parent, add any thoughts you have.
