Social media safety mostly comes down to limiting what strangers can learn about you, verifying who and what you interact with, and assuming anything you post can be saved, shared, or used against you...

Visit iPredator to read about and view images involving the destructive impact social media has on Israel and Antisemitism.

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Visit the iPredator online safety website to read about 42 examples of cyberbullying, cyberbullying tactics and types by Dr. Nuccitelli.

The most widely used clinical and forensic classification of stalkers is the five-type motivational typology developed by Paul Mullen, Michele Pathé, and Rosemary Purcell. It underpins tools such as t...

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This is a genuine Jung line, from a private letter he wrote on 25 September 1937 to Kendig B. Cully (later published in Letters of C. G. Jung, Vol. I). The surrounding sentences make the meaning clear...

Under its human trafficking program, the Bureau investigates matters where a person was induced to engage in commercial sex acts or perform any labor or service through force, fraud, or coercion.

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.

Human trafficking (also called trafficking in persons) is a crime in which traffickers exploit people for labor or commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion. It is a form of modern slavery and ...

Online predators use social media, games, chat apps, and messaging platforms to groom, manipulate, or exploit children and teens. Prevention works best through open conversations, strong privacy habits, supervision, and knowing when and how to report. Official guidance from DHS Know2Protect, the Department of Justice, FBI, and NCMEC emphasizes the same core practices. Tips for parents and caregivers Start ongoing, two-way conversations early and keep them going. Discuss privacy, healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, grooming tactics (flattery, gifts, secrecy, isolation, pressure for photos or private chats), and that a child will not be in trouble for coming to you. Review every app, game, and site before use. Pay extra attention to those with private messaging, video chat, file sharing, anonymity, or end-to-end encryption. Set devices, apps, and accounts to private. Turn off location services except for family-tracking apps you control. Use parental controls, time limits, and device check-ins. Keep devices in common areas when possible. Know who is on friend lists and remove strangers. Only allow real-life friends. Never let a child move a conversation off a game or platform with someone they do not know in person. Teach that anything posted or sent can last forever and be shared. Do not share full name, address, school, age, photos that reveal location, or other identifying details with strangers. Watch for behavioral changes: secrecy about devices, sudden mood shifts, new unexplained gifts or money, withdrawal, age-inappropriate sexual language, or obsession with a new online “friend.” Tips for kids and teens Set every account and app to private. Accept friend or follow requests only from people you know in real life. Remove strangers. Do not respond to messages from people you do not know. Never leave a game to chat on another app with a stranger. Do not share personal information, photos, or videos that could identify you or your location. Assume everyone online could be lying about who they are. If anything feels uncomfortable, secretive, or pressuring (requests for photos, meeting up, keeping secrets from parents), stop, block, save evidence (screenshots, usernames), and tell a trusted adult immediately. Do not delete messages. Trust your instincts. You have the right to say no, leave a chat, and ask for help. A safe adult will not ask you to keep secrets or ignore your boundaries. Red flags of grooming or predation Someone asking to move to a private chat, requesting secrecy, showering intense compliments or gifts, asking for photos or personal details, refusing video calls while claiming to be your age, or becoming controlling or threatening. Fake profiles often have few photos, incomplete information, or inconsistencies. Newer threats include sextortion (threats to share images) and violent online networks that coerce self-harm or explicit content. Never pay or comply with blackmail; report instead. If something happens Save evidence on the device. Do not delete or forward explicit images. Report immediately: NCMEC CyberTipline: report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 FBI: tips.fbi.gov Local law enforcement or 911 if there is immediate danger NCMEC’s Take It Down service can help remove explicit images of minors. Seek support for the child; it is not their fault. Resources like NCMEC NetSmartz (videos and guides by age) and DHS Know2Protect offer age-appropriate materials for continued conversations. Consistent habits plus a trusted adult relationship remain the strongest protections.

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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is expected to have season-ending surgery on his left knee, according to a person familiar with the injury.

Visit the iPredator online safety website to learn about cyberstalking, cyberbullying, internet trolls & cybercriminal minds at no cost.

Online predators are people—most often adults—who use the internet, social media, games, messaging apps, and other digital platforms to target others for sexual exploitation or abuse. The term is used most commonly for those who seek out children and teenagers. They exploit the anonymity and reach of online spaces to make contact that would be harder or riskier in person. The goal is typically sexual: soliciting images or videos, engaging in sexualized conversation, coercing victims, or trying to arrange in-person meetings. Some also use threats or blackmail (sextortion). A smaller share of cases involve financial motives or broader violent networks that combine sexual exploitation with other harms. There is no single “look” Predators do not fit a simple stereotype. They can be any age, background, or occupation and often appear ordinary or even well-liked in their communities. Studies and law-enforcement data consistently show the large majority are male. Ages vary widely, with many in their 20s to 40s, though younger and older offenders also exist. Some have prior records; many do not. A portion have themselves experienced abuse. They frequently lie about their age or identity. Most child sexual abuse overall still involves someone the victim already knows. Online cases often begin with a stranger who then works to become a trusted contact. Scale The problem is large and growing with the spread of social platforms, gaming, and messaging. Organizations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) receive tens of millions of reports each year through their CyberTipline covering child sexual abuse material, online enticement, and related crimes. Estimates of active online predators targeting children run into the hundreds of thousands on any given day, though exact numbers are hard to pin down. Victims are frequently in the 12–15 age range, though younger children and teens of all genders are targeted. What this is not The term is sometimes applied loosely to any unwanted or aggressive online behavior. In child-protection and law-enforcement contexts it specifically refers to sexual targeting and exploitation of minors (or, less often, vulnerable adults). Not every person who chats with a minor online is a predator; the defining element is the intent to exploit. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement. For suspected online child sexual exploitation in the U.S., reports can be made to NCMEC’s CyberTipline (cybertipline.org) or the FBI. Resources such as Take It Down can help remove explicit images of minors. Prevention centers on open communication with children about online contacts, privacy settings, and never meeting strangers from the internet without trusted adult involvement.

National Bullying Prevention Month is an annual U.S. awareness campaign held throughout October. It was founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center as a one-week event and expanded to the full month in 2010. Its purpose is to raise awareness of bullying (including cyberbullying), shift the view that bullying is a normal “rite of passage,” and encourage schools, families, and communities to take action that promotes kindness, acceptance, and inclusion so children feel safe at school, online, and in their neighborhoods. PACER reports that about one in five students say they have been bullied. The campaign highlights that bullying can harm academic performance, self-esteem, and mental and physical health, and that bystanders and those who bully can also be affected. Signature event: Unity Day The main event is Unity Day, typically the third or fourth Wednesday of October. In 2026 it falls on October 21. People wear and share the color orange as a visible stand for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Schools and communities often hold related activities, display posters, and use hashtags such as #UnityEveryDay. How people participate Common activities include: Using PACER’s free classroom activity kits, posters, and lesson materials Taking an online pledge against bullying Holding school or community events, walks, or student-led projects Sharing resources with parents, educators, and students via PACER’s sites (pacer.org/bullying, pacerteensagainstbullying.org, and pacerkidsagainstbullying.org) The campaign is not a federally designated holiday but is widely recognized by schools, organizations, and communities across the United States. Official resources and ways to get involved are available at PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month page.

Cyberstalking is the repeated use of digital technologies—email, social media, messaging apps, phones, GPS/location tools, smart devices, spyware, or other electronic means—to monitor, contact, threaten, intimidate, control, isolate, or otherwise harass someone in a way that causes fear, substantial emotional distress, or a sense of being watched. It is stalking carried out through electronic communication rather than (or in addition to) physical following. A single unwanted message usually does not qualify; laws and definitions typically require a course of conduct—a pattern of behavior. Common forms Typical behaviors include: Flooding someone with unwanted calls, texts, emails, or DMs after they have asked the person to stop Obsessively monitoring social media, location data, or online activity Using tracking apps, shared accounts, or hidden software to follow movements Doxxing (publishing personal details such as home address, workplace, or family information) Impersonating the person online, hacking accounts, or locking them out Threatening physical harm, or threatening to share private photos or information Spreading rumors, false accusations, or damaging content to isolate or discredit them Interfering with connected home devices Perpetrators are often people the victim already knows—an ex-partner, acquaintance, coworker, or classmate—though strangers can also be involved. It frequently overlaps with in-person stalking or other interpersonal violence. How it differs from cyberbullying The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, especially when minors are involved. In practice: Cyberbullying more often involves humiliation, exclusion, rumor-spreading, or peer aggression, frequently among young people. Cyberstalking typically adds obsessive monitoring, fixation, control, and a stronger element of fear for personal safety. It can escalate over a long period. Legal status In the United States, federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2261A) treats cyberstalking as a crime when someone uses electronic communications in a pattern of conduct intended to harass, intimidate, injure, or place a person under surveillance, and that conduct reasonably causes fear of death or serious bodily injury or substantial emotional distress. Penalties can include prison time; sentences increase with aggravating factors. Most states cover the same conduct under stalking or harassment statutes even if they do not use the word “cyberstalking.” If you or someone you know is experiencing this, document everything (do not engage), tighten privacy settings, consider a protective order, and contact local law enforcement or specialized resources such as the National Resource Center on Cybercrimes or victim-advocacy organizations.

Two unrelated sextortion crimes committed months apart and hundreds of miles away from each other illustrate the dangers of compromising personal photos being in the wrong hands.

Peer-on-peer violence is on the rise. But when schools must balance a duty of care to both victims and perpetrators, where does this leave girls who have to pursue their education in the shadow of sex...

“Online psychopaths” is not a clinical diagnosis. It is a popular and research shorthand for people whose psychopathic traits—callousness, lack of remorse, grandiosity, manipulation, and impulsivity—show up especially clearly on the internet. Psychopathy itself is a personality construct (often measured with tools like the Hare PCL), not a standalone DSM diagnosis; the closest official category is antisocial personality disorder. Only a small minority of people meet clinical thresholds. The internet does not create psychopathy. It lowers the cost of acting on existing traits: anonymity, distance from victims, delayed or missing consequences, and platforms that reward engagement. How the traits typically appear online Research on “cyberpsychopathy,” trolling, and online hate consistently finds that psychopathy (and everyday sadism) are the Dark Tetrad traits most strongly linked to harmful digital behavior. Machiavellianism and narcissism appear too, but less reliably. Common patterns include: Trolling and “online hating” aimed at strangers or public figures, often for amusement or dominance rather than a specific grievance. Catfishing, romance scams, social-engineering, and phishing. Cyberstalking, doxxing-adjacent harassment, and coordinated pile-ons. Spreading disinformation or inflaming conflict because it produces a reaction. Using cognitive empathy (understanding what will hurt someone) while showing little affective empathy (not caring that it hurts). Anonymity and the “online disinhibition effect” make these behaviors easier; people high in psychopathic traits are more likely to seek those conditions. Michael Nuccitelli coined “iPredopath” / “online psychopath” for users who systematically use ICT to troll, control, or victimize others with little guilt. Academic work now more often uses “cyberpsychopathy” as a description of how aversive traits are expressed and amplified online, not as a new disorder. Important caveats Most rude, cruel, or deceptive people online are not psychopaths. Ordinary anger, tribalism, poor impulse control, moral disengagement, and platform incentives explain a large share of toxic behavior. Self-report studies also show that some people with dark traits overstate how toxic they are. Clinical psychopathy is uncommon; scoring somewhat higher than average on a questionnaire is not the same thing. A few creators with diagnosed ASPD or who identify as sociopaths/psychopaths discuss their inner experience on platforms like TikTok. That is different from labeling random trolls or public figures. There is no reliable public checklist that lets you diagnose strangers from comments. Superficial charm, lying, and lack of visible remorse can look like other problems (or like someone having a bad day). Professional assessment requires more than an internet persona. The practical takeaway is behavioral, not diagnostic: treat persistent, remorseless, exploitative online conduct as high-risk regardless of the label, and do not assume every antagonist is a “psychopath.”