Online predators are adults and online users who exploit young children, adolescents, and teens to seek sexual and abusive aims. They are always in pursuit of their target, regardless of age, race, color, creed, caste, gender, sexual orientation, social status, or beliefs. However, cyber predators commonly target young tweens and teens who appear on social media websites and apps regularly. Online predators are sexual predators who use the internet and communication technologies such as cell phones, gadgets, computer desktops, and laptop devices connected to the internet and victimize minors. Stalkers, cyber bullies, and sexual predators are common predators who have migrated to the web and are known as online predators.
Digital Citizenship of Teens
Young kids and teens who grew up in the technological world and own cell phones, gadgets, and computer devices connected to the internet and use social media accounts are digital citizens. They spend most of their time in the artificial world and use online communication tools to interact with friends and family members online. Text conversations, messages, and sharing media, such as photos and videos, are common practices among digital citizens, particularly among tweens and teens, including both girls and boys. Facebook, Yahoo, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and others are among the most popular social media platforms among digital citizens, particularly among children and teenagers.
Online Predators that Victimize Digital Citizen Teens
Cyber predators mostly victimize young kids and teens online. They establish online contacts with children in chat rooms of social media apps. Young kids and teens visit these online areas to make friends. Finally, teens’ interaction takes place with cyber predators such as stalkers, online bullies, and sexual predators.
How do Cyber Predators Work to target Teens?
Online predators seduce teens online gradually through attention, affection, and kindness, and also devote enough time.
They sympathize with teens ‘ and kids’ problems & gradually introduce sexual content, having text and voice conversations on social media.
Few cyber predators behave very fast to get to the point and engage teens in sexually explicit conversations, and often end up with harassment, online bullying, and stalking.
Predators mostly try to meet with target teens in real –life face to face contact.
CNN about Online Predators
7% of kids (10–18) said social media helped predators reach them.
12% when the abuser wasn’t family.
Victims were mostly 13-year-old girls.
80% of abusers were adult men.
Teens online & Stalkers statistics
A new U.S survey has found that one out of seven tweens and teens between the 6th & 9th grades has been a victim of stalking. However, these teens are at greater risk of substance abuse and depression, researchers stated.
13.5M people in the U.S. are stalked every year — 1 in 4 victims are under 18.
Teen girls (16–19) face the highest risk — 10.5% report being stalked yearly.
Teen boys aren’t safe either — about 6–7% experience stalking.
Cyberstalking doubled in recent years — predators now use apps, DMs & GPS to track teens.
Most victims know their stalker, making it even more frightening and difficult to report.
Teen online & Cyber Bullies –Safe foundation stats
Online bullying can take place in many forms, and bullies online can abuse, harass, and threaten young people. They can send mean messages on cellphones and on instant messaging apps and hack someone’s account to defame the target. Using unflattering photos of teens and then spreading them on social messaging apps and sexting based captions under the target teen pictures.
- 26.5% of U.S. teens (ages 13–17) reported being victims of cyberbullying in 2023 — up from 23.2% in 2021.
- 47% say they’ve faced online harassment—like mean comments or rumors—at some point.
- Girls are more affected than boys: 59% of female teens vs. 49.5% of male teens have been cyberbullied.
- Mean or hurtful comments are the most common form of cyberbullying, seen by 77.5% of teen victims.
- 19.2% of teens missed school because of cyberbullying — nearly double the rate from 2016.
- Over half—53.9%—of teens aged 13–17 experienced cyberbullying in the past month
Teens Online & Sexual Predators Statistics
Sexual predators are the ones who want to target teens online to gain sexual means. So, they usually target young teens who post pictures, divulge past sexual abuse, nd engage in sexual talk using cellphones and social media apps.
- 1 in 12 kids worldwide faces online sexual exploitation before turning 18.
In the U.S., 20% of teens (13–20) have been asked for sexual content online. - 36% of minors reported being asked to share sexual images by someone online.
- Reports of online grooming & sextortion rose by 192% between 2021 and 2023.
Girls aged 12–15 remain the most frequent targets of online predators. - Teen boys are increasingly victims—around 30% of reported cases involve them.
- 95% of U.S. teens are online daily; most use phones, making access easier for predators.
- Predators often pose as older teens or young adults (not kids) to lure victims.
- Only 1 in 4 teens tells a parent when approached by an online predator.
- Many victims willingly keep the contact secret, fearing judgment or punishment.
- 75% of kids share personal info online (photos, age, location)—predators use this to groom.
- 16% of teens admit to meeting someone offline after connecting online.
- Sextortion cases now account for a huge portion of FBI cybercrime reports in 2024–25.
Teens Who are Most Vulnerable to Online Predators
- Teens who turn to new or are unfamiliar with “Netiquette”
- Teens who have attention-seeking behavior
- Rebellious teens and tweens
- Teens who are lonely & isolated
- Confused about their sexual identity
- Love to engage online with adults
- Gets attracted to subculture instead of parents
Sings your Child is the Victim of a Cyber Predator
- Use a cellphone connected to cyberspace regularly
- Seems lost and wishes to stay lonely
- Unexplained anger and depression, especially when online
- Teens with trouble sleeping at night
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
- Suddenly left the cellphone or computer in anger
How can Parents Minimize the Dangers of Online Predators?
- Aware your children and teens about predators online
- Guide your teens on how they can approach them
- Stop them from using chat rooms and social media apps frequently
- Encourage your teens to use social media in the presence of parental control
- Guide your teens not to respond to the provoking messages online
- Set parental control on your kids and teens ‘ cell phone devices & view sexual media logs
- Record teen’s cellphone calls, incoming &outgoing
- Remotely control the apps on a teen’s cellphone with a monitoring app
- Guide your child to never leave social media chat rooms idle in public areas on computers
- Place the computer device where you can easily see the screen of the device
