[Note: This article was revised from its original form in May 2015]
How to Handle a Predator

It has recently come to the attention of the forum team that we have never officially come out with a statement on how our members should deal with a predator, should one ever arise. Because we are passionate about the safety of our members, we would like to do so now.

What is a predator?

In the modern age of social networking, cyber shopping and online banking, online predators have become a real issue. An online predator is a person who uses the Internet to steal personal information or search for victims. Crimes that involve online predators include identity theft, stalking, kidnapping and child abuse.

Online predators often prey on people while they are doing normal business on the cyber world of computing, or they prey on people by befriending them via social networking sites. These criminals take advantage of unsuspected participants by persuading them to trust and share vital information that can be used for criminal purposes.

What is the likelihood of predators on Holy Worlds?

Now, don’t let the above information freak you guys out, because the likelihood of online predators getting past the Captains is incredibly slim. Why? Because, we have trained the activating Captains (those who activate the accounts for the forum) to look through account information with a fine toothed comb. We get hundreds of account activation requests (scarcely a day goes by that we don’t get at least one), and only a small percentage of those actually get activated. The Captains are looking at IP addresses, referral info, e-mail accounts, age, the information fields— all of these things help our Captains weed out the people that have no business being on our forum. It there is something fishy or out of the ordinary, they won’t activate them, so you are in good hands. The likelihood of our members ever having to deal with a predator is slim, but even though it is slim, we want to make sure you guys know what to do, should you ever have a concern.

Where would a predator be on Holy Worlds?

The chat room is the primary area on Holy Worlds that a predator would be interested in, though they could possibly use the pm system as well. Chat is more convenient, but not the only avenue. This doesn’t mean you should be paranoid of everyone in chat, nor does it mean you should discontinue using the pming system. Lots of us hang out in chat because we like talking to one another, and the pming system is very handy.

How do you protect yourself against a predator?

The best form of protection is actually quite simple. This is the internet, and despite the safety of Holy worlds, you should always be incredibly careful when giving out personal information on the forums, in pm, or in the chat room. This is the most basic safety measure, but it will also keep you safe. That’s why so many parents don’t want their kids giving out info such as where they live, their phone number, etc. While we do not forbid the sharing of information, we do caution against it. Make sure you know who you are giving your information to, if you choose to do so.

What to do if you think there is a predator.

First and foremost, you should contact an Administrator (at this time, Reiyen is preferable). Our hope is that you will contact an Administrator directly, as predators are a serious issue and it is our job, as Admins, to not only ensure that you all are safe. If you find a Captain more handy, contact them as well so they can take initial steps while an Administrator is found.

In addition to this, we ask that you not go to all of your friends on Holy Worlds and talk with them about the situation. Just come straight to us. Why? Because we don’t want to stir up mistrust among the other members towards someone if there is simply a mistake (which has happened on this forum before). Predators can be serious trouble, and we don’t want people to look upon a normal member as a predator if they are not.

Also, the most important thing you can do, other than tell us you are concerned, is save your chat conversations, be it private or public, and save your pms (this is true in any situation you are concerned about—if you have a concern, save the information and send it to a Administrator or Captain who can address your concerns about a situation). By saving the information, you allow us to be able to see exactly what was said and keep an eye on things. If we don’t have facts it is very hard to make an accurate assessment of the situation. So, if you ever have a concern about any issue, predatorily or otherwise (bullying, unsolicited licentious behavior, questionable content, so on), save the conversation and pm a white or yellow member (white in the case of a predator).

What happens if someone is accused of being a predator?

The first step in the process is that the Administrators will assess the situation. If we think it should be looked into, the first thing we will do with a new member’s account is temporarily deactivate them. What this does is it removes the threat of a predator. That person cannot access Holy Worlds, therefore they cannot prey upon our members.

Next we will try and determine if a specific member invited them to the forum. If we can find a member they are linked to, we will contact that member and find out if they really did invite them to the forum, and if so, what are they like in real life. If we feel there is still a concern with this new member, then we will move on to the next step.

From there, Administrators act flexibly to the situation, seeking to protect the privacy of all individuals involved as much as possible, second only to protecting the safety of everyone.

Wrapping Up

At this point, the situation has been dealt with and the threat is removed, one way or another. As the leaders of Holy Worlds, we desire to protect our members above all else, but in order to do that, we also need you guys to let us know when things are going on. Remember, the Administrators and Captains are always happy to hear from you, no matter what the issue, so feel free to bring things to us. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it is better to have been sure than wait and have an issue.

Thank you for this, Airi.

Thanks for posting this.

Not a problem at all.

Thanks for this.
Good info.
-KatieGrace

You are welcome.