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NOTE: All identifying data or language of a strong sexual graphic nature as well as obscene language have been removed from each example used on this page

One of the most popular features offered on the Internet is the chat room. A chat room is a location on the internet where a server hosts a virtual meeting room where people may gather (represented by screen names) to talk about subjects that are common amongst themselves. There are an innumerable number of chat rooms hosted on a multitude of servers covering a countless number of subjects so this is a vast resource for people of any age to use. Typically, the chatting is done in “real time” meaning that in any given chat room there may be 30+ people all typing to the screen and what they type appears immediately after pressing enter. This can sometimes lead to a confusing situation although, generally, the process is mutually acceptable with everyone present.

The above example is a typical chat room. It displays the basic aspects of the chat environment.

As people enter and leave the chat room their “screen name” will appear in a list that is displayed here, allowing for an easy observation of who is present.

This section of the chat room is where text that is meant to represent what the user is saying will to appear.

This is where the user will type what they wish to say (which, when entered, will appear in the chat room)

The send button, meant to represent the “enter key” on the computer

one of the features common to many chat rooms is the use of instant messaging. This feature allows a person to create a solitary conversation with an individual in a separate chat window – void of the presence of the rest of the people present in the chat room.

One feature that many chat environments offer is the ability to create chat rooms and have the room placed in a specific area so that it will be easier for “like-minded” individuals to gather in rooms suitable to the subject matter they wish to participate discussion in. In the example above the chat room “vy” (meant to represent “very young”) is shown to have been created by a member of a typical service in the environment “Special Interest”.

The above example depicts a more typical environment where questionable conversations may take place. The language, at alternative times of the day or night, may become more suitable to a more graphic nature and, as shown above, may deviate to include areas not of the subject matter listed as the room topic. In many chat rooms, the topic is often a disguise for the true intentions of the gathered individuals and it is in this aspect that children need to be very careful if they are engaged in a conversation and are asked to join someone in a particular chat room. .Chat rooms are also popular places where like-minded individuals can gather to quickly trade graphics or movies in a multitude of formats. It is not uncommon for a person to venture into a chat room, even accidentally or out of curiosity, and to find that their mailbox has received email from unknown persons which have attached pornographic pictures or a URL for a pornographic site.

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In the environment that a chat room provides, a person will, depending on what room is visited, witness dialogue of all different sorts. But, contact in a chat room is not just limited to what is seen. In fact, it is a common misunderstanding that when people enter into one of the more private IM conversations between two people that it is only engaged by those present in the chat rooms. In fact, there are a large number of contacts made outside of the chat room itself.

To fully explain, in the second pictorial graphic “Find A Chat” (which is represented of the AOL chat environment), there is a feature that allows a person to view who is within the chat room without having to actually enter it. Furthermore, upon doing so, a person will also find that they have some of the same basic abilities as if they were within the room itself. In using this feature a person is able to both IM and scan profiles. Here is where having a profile becomes a factor. A predator will typically scan the screen names within the chat room and look at corresponding profiles. If a particular profile provides suitable information (a child’s age, activities, etc.) then the predator is able to begin formulating a plan and will, most likely, contact the person by Instant Message. All of this is done without actually entering the chat room remember. Consequently, a predator is “more likely” to not make contact with a person if there is no profile available.