Talk to Your Teen About The Dangers of Calling a Chatline

Teenage girl kidnapped by sex offender from dating chatline

Teenage girl kidnapped by sex offender from dating chatline

Calling a chatline can be entertaining and effective when it comes to meeting people; however dating chatlines pose a great risk for kids and teenagers who can be easily manipulated and who don’t yet realize the dangers of meeting with a stranger in person.

One of the first thing you hear when you call a chatline is something like this: “This service is for callers 18 years of age and older. If you are under 18, you must hang up now“. Yes, chatline companies make it very clear that the service is for adult only, and that they assume no responsibility for anything that happens on the line. However, due to the nature of the service, there is no way chatlines can enforce this rule and teens often call mindlessly disregard this warning.

You should not assume your kids will not call a chatline just because they don’t own a credit card. Most phone chat companies allow females to call for free. Males are no exempt from danger, chatlines will often offer a free trial of 30 to 60 minutes; enough time for a teenager boy to agree to a meeting with a potential pedophile or sex offender.

Two girls disappeared from their home while on a sleepover. They willingly left with two guys they met in a phone chatline.

The dangers of chatlines exist for both makes and females, however females are a a greater risk. Chatlines can also be dangerous for adults. Just because you are over 18, doesn’t mean you are. No matter your are, always be cautious and exercise good judgement when calling a chatline. Click here to read the phone dating safety tips.