On Friday, April 10th, Benton Middle School and High School students attended a presentation by Raymond Fiedler, a former special agent who now works in the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Through his presentation, Mr. Fiedler educated students on the realities of online predators. He explained the warning signs, predatory recruitment tactics, and safeguards young people should be aware of when engaging in online activity to hopefully avoid becoming caught up in a dangerous situation. The grim reality is that the incidents of online predatory behavior on social media and online gaming are on the rise and can have extremely harmful effects on victims.
Mr. Fiedler further explained how students could handle situations if they ever became caught up in online exploitation. Victims should remain calm, refuse to make decisions under threat or pressure, and immediately cut off communication with the predator. While these situations can be embarrassing, Mr. Fiedler stressed the importance of telling parents or guardians so authorities can get involved. If a friend should confess to being a victim of online predators, it is important to be understanding and support them in getting help, not make them feel worse about the situation.
Mr. Fiedler’s presentation, arranged by the Benton Community High School Student Council, brought awareness to an extremely serious situation affecting teenagers.