Hello — a brief safety reminder about boundaries between adults and children:- Safety risk: Strangers can’t be reliably vetted; private contact makes it easier for grooming, coercion, or exploitation to occur.
- Power imbalance: Adults usually hold more authority and influence, which can be used—intentionally or not—to pressure or manipulate a child.
- Developmental vulnerability: Children and teens are still developing judgment, impulse control, and understanding of long-term consequences.
- Digital permanence: Messages, images, and recordings can be saved and shared later; keeping interactions public reduces misuse.
- Clear rules help: Simple guidance (“don’t have private chats with adults you don’t know”) is easier for kids to follow than complex exceptions.
- Parental/guardian involvement: If contact with an adult is necessary, it should be transparent, include a caregiver, and be documented.
- How to respond: If a child feels uncomfortable, they should end the conversation, keep evidence (screenshots), tell a trusted adult, and report the contact to site moderators or platform safety tools.
- Mandatory reporting: Any admission or evidence of intent to harm a child must be reported to moderators and appropriate authorities.
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