Online activity can be a worrisome thing for parents of teens. It’s very hard to know who your child is talking to at all times. There is always the concern that an adult is hiding behind the keyboard pretending to be a teen while chatting with your kid.
If someone saw a teen meeting an adult who claimed to be a teen online, would anyone intervene? It’s awkward enough being a teen but imagine you went to meet someone your own age and woman in their 40s appeared instead. Would the child have the confidence to get up and leave and would anyone there back him up?
The television show “What Would You Do?” tackled this scenario at a restaurant. They turned the tables on what typically dominates the headlines and had a middle-aged woman meet a 16-year-old boy. The show wanted to find out if people would react the same if a woman tried to leave with a boy as they did when a man was there to prey on a girl. Predators can be women, too.
The woman was not shy about her affection for the teen who was clearly expecting someone his own age. She repeatedly touched him and was attempting to coerce him into leaving with her. The boy clearly felt uncomfortable, but the woman was rather aggressive and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
That’s when other people repeatedly stepped up to help this teen out. He got the most assistance from other teens. Alarmingly, one of them said she has friends who have been in similar situations. She was not about to let him leave with the predator and was willing to call the police!
Perhaps the most brutal takedown came at the end when a man put the predator in her place and sent her on her way. He ended by telling the teen, “That woman is seriously crazy.” Yes, anyone who preys on a child is and belongs behind bars!
The “What Would You Do?” video below is a good reminder that we always have to keep our eyes and ears open.