Whether you or your teen is interested in online dating and participates in Internet chats, or you want to protect your child from questionable individuals in her school or community, you must learn to recognize the behavior of a perverted individual. These people are likely to prey on unassuming children, and it's your job to point out the warning signs to keep your family safe.
Communicating Online with Children
A person who finds out he is communicating with an underage person online, but doesn't delete the young person's contact information, is an indication of perversion. Once a teen or younger child reveals his age online, an adult who tries to continue conversations with the young person because the teen is "intriguing" or "needs help" is likely attempting to maintain a relationship with the child for inappropriate purposes, according to the Online Security Authority website.
Attention to Emotions
If an online pervert is overly "concerned" with your feelings, this could be his way of luring teen girls -- or women -- who are desperate for attention into being more trusting. For instance, if a pedophile can't relate to his young female victim by talking to her about the latest clothing trends or young celebrities, he may ask her how things are going at home. When she reveals that she's been fighting a lot with her parents, he may "comfort" her by telling her he'll never fight with her and wants her to feel better. This will make the girl feel more at ease when the pervert asks for suggestive pictures of her or wants to visit her in person.
Your Child's Behavior
Observe your child's behavior around other adults or those you think may be perverted. For instance, a teacher patting your child on the back isn't out of order, but if it makes your child uncomfortable, there could be a reason why. If your little one starts expressing a disinterest or even fear in going to school, this could be a sign of perverted activity by another student or teacher. Another indication that your child could be exposed to a pervert is if he comes home from school with toys or money but "can't tell you" where he got them.
Extremely "Positive" Adult Traits
The Show and Tell for Parents website asserts that a pervert will often appear to exert "better" behavior than the adults around him do. For instance, a teacher who is a pedophile could be heralded as one of the nicest and most respectable individuals at the school, and may even have a reputation of being a devoutly religious or family-oriented individual. These perverted individuals may also shower the children who are not their victims with gifts or special classroom privileges to gain the trust of all the children in the classroom and their parents.