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Proactive Disclosure

Online chat

Background

What is it?

Online chat is a form of communication that utilizes computer programs that allow for two-way conversations between users in real time (events that occur in cyberspace at the same speed that they would occur in real life).

How does it work?

There are three (3) types of online chat:

Web-based chat rooms : Virtual forums that allow for messages to be written and read in real time by all individuals present in the “room”. A chat room is usually devoted to a particular topic such as movies, sports, emerging technologies, and others.
Real-time chat: Real-time chat, sometimes referred “instant messaging,” offers users the ability to communicate in real time with individuals who have been added to a “buddy” list. Generally, the chat is centred on an actual conversation as opposed to a theme which would be found in a web-based chat room or an Internet Relay Chat channel.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) : Internet Relay Chat allows users to communicate in real time with individuals located throughout the world who belong to the same network (connected to the same server). IRC differs from real-time chat in that conversations are centered on a particular theme within a network of people s/he is not likely to encounter in real space.

A Closer Look

Web-based chat rooms

Web-based chat rooms can be located throughout the Internet on pages such as fan club websites, online gaming sites and personal websites, among others. Individuals can discuss a variety of topics, including computers, games, movies, music. Many popular search engines have their own chat platform and can be run under most operating systems, provided that the software that allows you to communicate with others in the chat room has been installed.

Real-time chat

Real-time chat is messaging software that lets you communicate with friends and colleagues in real time. Features include a quick launch bar, music file support, and a new answering service. Some versions also work with Internet Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP) connections, allowing communication behind firewalls (see NETWORK fact sheet for more on TCP and IP).

Internet Relay Chat

Internet Relay Chat requires a specific program that allows a user to download the software, select a nickname, choose and connect to an IRC server using that software. Once the application is downloaded and a user is connected to the server, they can choose from a large selection of chat channels covering many topics. Private communications can also occur on IRC however the message is not be completely secure from other users. Then, you can choose one of the thousands of channels (virtual rooms) available. The content of many IRC chat areas are uncensored and, because they are publicly accessible, attract a diverse range of people.

Implications for Law Enforcement

Chat rooms offer a number of benefits, including education, support and social interaction. However, as with most technology, online chat can also be used to facilitate Internet-based child sexual exploitation.

Potential offenders can meet children in chat rooms, on bulletin board systems, gaming websites, and/or personal websites created by the child or the offender — often with the aim of attracting children. Once contact has been made with a child, offenders may pose as either a child or an adult.

Potential offenders who portray themselves as a child are often up to date on pop culture and engage in age-appropriate discussions, while encouraging the child to confide in them as a new “friend”. Offenders who are open about being significantly older will often attempt to groom the child to trust the adult enough to, at some point, engage in some form of sexual activity (for example, sexual talk). Throughout the grooming process, the offender may attempt to lower the child’s inhibitions (for example, sending pornographic images or website addresses) with the long-term goal being to sexually assault the child. Once trust has been established, the offender may attempt to solicit information from the child to determine his/her location. Below is a scenario of how this could occur and the computer tools that could assist the offender in discovering information about the child.

By asking a child “what do you like to do for fun?” an offender can gather information detailing favourite activities, involvement in sport activities and/or places frequented after school.
If the child responds by saying that s/he likes to go to arcade x, the offender can access the online yellow pages to find the location of all arcades in Canada . Alternatively, the offender could then access an online phone directory to find the location of the arcade nearest the area. If the child told the offender that s/he frequents the arcade, s/he can assume the child lives within a close distance of the arcade.
As time goes on and the child chats with the offender, the child may be convinced to send the offender a picture. With a picture of the child, the offender can then sit outside of the arcade in his/her car and watch for the child. This could really endanger the child if the child has an especially predictable pattern (for example, every Friday after school). As well, the potential offender may alter a child’s picture (for example, remove clothing) and send it to the child to manipulate her/him to meet or send more pictures. It is important to understand that once an image enters cyberspace it can never be retrieved.

Children and adults alike are more likely to divulge personal information once a level of trust is achieved in any encounter or relationship. Children should be cautioned about providing personal information — age, sex, location — as it is not uncommon for an offender to try to make face-to-face contact with a child (for example, surprise the child at school or other public place). Concerned about the safety of their children online, parents have started installing chat logger software on their home computers. This software, which is often used in office environments, can provide parents with a detailed account of the websites their child visited, the chat programs they used and what was said during the conversations. Due to the informal language and acronyms used in chat rooms, most parents would have difficulty deciphering a conversation. For this reason, a glossary of chat lingo can be found at the end of this fact sheet.

Although they were originally developed for the purposes of online chatting, chat rooms, IRC and real-time chat programs can also be used to transmit and share video and audio files, thereby increasing the options available for those sharing child sexual abuse images. Such programs have been used by sexual offenders for several purposes, including the grooming of a child. Online chat can also be used by pedophiles and child sexual offenders to network with each other. This type of online forum allows individuals to share ideas and information about methods of abuse and locations where children can be found and subsequently abused.

It is important to recognize that although relationships formed online may be based on deception, they can be real and significant to both children and adults. Once an online relationship begins, it can escalate in intimacy quickly and can result in an in-person meeting. Acknowledging the significance of these relationships will help to discuss them with children and youth. Most importantly, youth should be educated regarding the potential risks of sharing personal information and be encouraged to minimize those risks by limiting sharing information.