Meeting People on Real Life After Networking

Host: Should children ever agree to meet someone in person who they have met online?

Nancy McBride: Children should not meet in person with people they have online unless their parent or guardian knows about it, has agreed to it, and agrees to accompany them, because again, people who are online are not always who appear to be, and even if the child knows they are communicating with somebody older, they don t know that person, they don t know the intent of that person, and we certainly across cases where especially teenage girls will form this really strong bond with older man online, think they have strong emotions and feelings for that persons, when the person s whole intent is to meet that teenager for sexual purposes, and once the child leave the online world and goes into the real world; everything may change because that child may not be prepared for what that person has in mind. So, use extreme caution when you are talking to people online and certainly don t agree to meet with them yourself alone and make sure that if your parent or guardian has said it's okay that it s in a public place, that preferably they are with you and that you would establish that right upfront with that person.


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