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Make sure you have appropriate privacy protections in place. Remember that even photos, comments, and locations shared to only friends can be screenshotted and passed along to others. You run the risk of everything you share to be shared with the world (and saved forever), so think twice before you post. Predators may have access to everything you share.  You can do privacy check ups on all social media sites and make sure you are sharing what you want to share. You can also go back and edit or delete old posts if you wish. For more information, check out the privacy settings of your social media platform, like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Report harassing comments or images to the social media platform. Delete anything you are not comfortable with, and block any users who are making you uncomfortable. Do not let others know where you are located in posts or profiles. Showing your location lets a potential predator easily find out where you are. If you are comfortable sharing your location, you could also broaden your location to a metro area rather than a specific town. For example, “Bay Area” or “Greater NYC.” Many people are meeting others through the internet today, either through dating websites or friend groups, and most of the time, these get-togethers go off without a hitch. However, you still need to proceed cautiously the first time you meet someone you met on the internet. A person can easily misrepresent who they are online.  Meet the person in a public place, like a busy coffee shop, for the first time. Tell a friend your plans, and have them call or text you while you’re there to check in. Come up with a code word to use if things are not going well, and the friend can help you leave the situation easily. If you need to travel in order to meet this person, do not tell the person where you are staying. Stay at a hotel or a friend’s house, not with them. Utilize your own transportation during the trip. Spend some time planning for your meeting so that you can be comfortable. Develop backup plans if the meeting does not go well.  Do an online search. Look up the person you are about to meet to verify they have given you the correct information. You may wish to look them up on the National Sex Offender Public Website to see if they are a registered sex offender. Have an exit plan. Tell the person you can only meet for an hour, or have another event to attend. Use your own transportation so you don’t need to rely on the person for a ride. It’s okay to lie to get out of an engagement. It’s also okay to be impolite if you are feeling harassed; for example, if the person won’t take “no” for an answer. Trust your instincts and get out of the situation. For example, say you are on a first date. Your date keeps insisting you get the bill and head back to their place. You are not interested and want to leave. You could say, “I can’t. I promised my roommate I’d let her dog out tonight.” If your date keeps pressing you, just say, “No, I’m sorry,” and leave as soon as you can.
Be careful what you share online. Disengage location settings. Be cautious when meeting in person. Do your homework. Back out if you’re uncomfortable.