babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Software Unmasks Adults Posing as Children Online
It’s called “grooming” and it happens all the time. An adult poses as a child on the Internet for the sole purpose of tricking an actual child into having a conversation. Often, those conversations lead somewhere no child should go: Into the grasp of a pedophile.
In an effort to unmask these pretenders, Computer Scientists at Lancaster University are working on a software program that can determine a person’s age and gender by analyzing the language they use. While the software isn’t intended for children or their parents to use, the developers hope it will be useful to law enforcement agencies who are out there fighting the good fight against online sexual predators.
To assist in the development of the software, researchers recruited 350 children and teens from a school in the UK. Setting them up on the Internet, they monitored their online conversations with strangers. In addition to providing data for the software, these conversations underscored the need for such a program.
Of the 350 kids participating in the study, 4 out of 5 believed they were talking to a teen when in fact they were talking to an adult pretending to be a teen. Overall, only 18% of the kids guessed correctly, with the girls scoring somewhat better than the boys.
The software program, however, correctly determined whether a web chat was written by a child or an adult 47 out of 50 times.
In addition to determining the sex and age of an anonymous person online, the software has the potential to pick up on the ‘stylistic’ footprints of individuals, enabling law enforcement to follow pedophiles as they make their way around the Internet. Ultimately, the developers hope the software will automate the process of tracking online predators, freeing up police while at the same time helping them do a better job of catching these monsters before they strike in the real world.
Image: PictureYouth/Flickr
More from this author:
Lithium Cell Batteries Can Be Deadly to Children
One Cigarette a Month Can Hook a Teen
Teens and Tanning Beds: A Deadly Combination
Does Barbie Look Different to You?
2 Year Old Smoking Cigarettes: Holy Smokes!
Cooking With Kids: 10 Ways to Empower Them in the Kitchen
Is Technology Disconnecting You From Your Kids?
Pediatricians Want Choking Warning on Food
Children and Sports: Too Much Too Soon
Go Back To Strollerderby
0 Comments
[...] Software Unmasks Adults Posing as Children Online [...]
Toxins in the Home Put Babies at Risk | Strollerderby commented on Jul 21 10 at 11:57 amLolaLane commented on Jun 02 10 at 4:34 pmWhat an amazing development! My basic plan with my boys for their internet use will simply be X-Files style: trust no one. lol
Seriously an excellent step in getting rid of those who would seek to harm kids.
Marj commented on Jun 02 10 at 8:42 pmThis is really great news. I was planning to advocate the same thing as Lola…and still am. But this is great. The internet shouldn’t be a deli counter for pedophiles.
Maggie commented on Jun 03 10 at 9:56 pmOh NO! Yet another way that a bright, articulate child can be accused of being something they’re not. When I was 12, it was “who typed this paper for you?” – even though the same school had a typing club for fourth graders. When I was 15 it was “obviously you had the help of some adult – no high school kid could write like that.” I hope those who use this software will give some thought to ‘false positives’ and refrain from accusations without some corroboration.
And YES, I hate pedophiles and pedophilia. But pretending that no kid could ever speak or write like that … may not be the best way to unmask them.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
0