Social Media and Online Predators: Strategies Used to Target Vulnerable Children

EasyChair Preprint 9060

Abstract

Social media platforms are one of the most common sources for targeting vulnerable minors. Online predators use social media messaging to target children for sexual exploitation. Previous research has identified strategies predators use to target children, but this research has used either self-report data or focused on a limited number of strategies. This paper extends the research on online predators by using content analysis to analyze the messages used in a sting operation. During Stage 1, the research team read the messages sent by 125 potential predators to the sting profile operated by an undercover officer. Examples are presented that indicate the themes and strategies are appropriate for the content analysis using NVivo which will be completed in Stage 2.

Keyphrases: online predators, social media, social media and children

@booklet{EasyChair:9060,
  author    = {Janna Parker and Nina Krey and Cathleen Snyder},
  title     = {Social Media and Online Predators: Strategies Used to Target Vulnerable Children},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 9060},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2022}}