Tagging Games - Predators Questionaires

“You’ve been tagged!”  

We’ve all seen them.  Maybe even received an invitation to participate.  We’ve maybe all participated in them.  Maybe not all but at least the simple ones, like asking about favorite movies or odd things people don’t know about you.  Either you’ve done it here or on MySpace, LiveJournal, Yahoo!, Chat rooms, and so forth.  

I am posting this article to expose them for what they are: Questionnaires for Sexual Predators.  No matter who composed the games, online predators are reading kids’ answers and making note of them to find the right victims to harass, stalk, and someday assault.

In my volunteer work with Child Sexual Abuse Awareness, I learned that most of these Tagging Games were created by online predators to get information from kids.  Kids think they are having fun, sharing about themselves with people their own age just looking for a creative outlet and a place to find a cool friend.

This is what many times is really happening:  This “friend” is actually a sexual predator, most likely a man (though there are women abusers out there!).  

He has composed the best list of questions to find out the age of his intended target, the name, where they live, and how best to convince them he can be trusted through similar interests.  

He has already made a lot of kids believe he is their age by using their language and posting images he stole from another kid’s photo hosting site, or maybe images of his child or niece, nephew, next door neighbor.  

Now, he has a whole friends list full of children who believe he is also a child.  He posts his “Tagging game” with what his friends believe to be honest answers.  Then, he tags his friends.  He will first tag the ones he is really interested in, but not too many.  He knows the others will follow suit and play the game, or eventually get tagged with his game, themselves.  All he has to do is sit back, wait and let his first few victims do the stalking for him.  

Once he has what he needs, he will not just use this information for himself.  He will pass on this information to other sexual predators so they can find these children, as well.  

See, sexual predators, pedophiles don’t work alone.  They have a network.  They have “rings” of hundreds online and out in the walking world.  

There are those members who will scout out the best places to find vulnerable children to take and molest, and pass on the lists of these places to pedophiles in the area.  

There are members who visit playgrounds, parks, and school functions and take photographs of children to pass along to other pedophiles and sexual predators.  

I have even seen a network where the man acts as a finder.  He will take the images, post them on his site, and other pedophiles will tell him who they are interested in.  He will either pass along or sell the information to them - like where the image was taken, if the child had any brothers or sisters, if the parents are observant or did they leave their child unattended, and in many cases, the photographer has the home address to give or sell the predator.  

These TAGGING games make all of this so much simpler.  No work needed for a scout.  All he has to do is pretend to be a child playing a game.  

The Tagging has increased quite a bit here on deviantART, and it’s time it comes to an end.  I have been seeing too many children, who use deviantART as a place to have fun and share their budding talents, give out all of their personal information to not only the person who tagged them, but also the entire internet to see.  

If someone is your friend and wants to know about you, then that takes place on the phone, in person, or at the least in chat.  You don’t have to give the entire world your full name, address, telephone number, and parents’ names.  If someone online asks you for this information, they are up to no good!  Count on it!

In the event some of you haven’t seen these “games”, or want a clear example of what I mean, below is a sampling of ACTUAL Tags and questions asked.  Not every question is sinister, but put together with the other questions, they serve to make the game seem innocent .  

I left the wording in tact, no corrections, just as they were found so you will recognize them.  Thank you to the concerned people who helped me find all of these.  And yes, these kids DO answer all of these questions!:



TAG GAME 1:

1. Whats your full name?
2. Whats your age?
3. Height and weight, if known.
4. What is your species?
5. Do you believe in love?
6. Who do you love?
7. Name your best buddies.
8. At what date you were born?
9. Favorite Movies.
10. Do you consider yourself an sexy or cute person?
11. How would you describe yourself?(in a physical and psychological matter?)
12. Who do you hate?
13. What do you hate?
14. Do you think fashion is important in your life?
15. Where do you live?
16. What are your hobbies?
17. Tell us some secret that you have.
18. Favorite Foods.
19. Random Question. Do you think Spam tastes like human flesh?
20. Why did you take this quiz?



TAG GAME 2:

(NOTE: This one attempts to gather every identity you have online.  In other words, this person who has created this or the pedophile using it is seeking all the ways you can be reached.  He may not approach you on dA, but you are telling him your screen names on other platforms - gaming and chat.  So, he can become your friend under many ID’s on every one of your accounts and you won’t even know it.  You may turn him in to one place, but he will still be watching you at all the others. Additionally, he is gathering information on your FAMILY to be used to not only find you but possibly steal your identity and your parents’ identities, as well.)  

1. YOUR REAL NAME:
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle.)
3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (fav color and fav animal)
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, and current street)
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name)
6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink).
7. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of you dads middle name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, last letter of your moms middle name)
8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mothers middle name and fathers name.)
9. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one your pets)



TAGGING GAME 3:

1) Full name:
2) Male/Female:
3) Were you named after anyone?
4) Does your name mean anything?
5) Nickname(s):
6) What do you think you look like... name wise:
7) Date of birth:
8) Place of birth and current location:
9) Nationality:
10) Astrological sign:
11)Chinese astrology sign:
12) Religion:
13) What's your favorite smell?
14) Political Position:
15) What do you prefer to drink in the morning:
16) Hair + eye color:
17) Do you look like anyone famous:
18) What do you look like?
19) Any unusual talents?:
20) Righty, lefty, or ambidextrous?:
21) Gay, straight, bi, or other?:
22) What do you do for a living?:
23) What do you do for fun?:
24) What are your favourite art materials to work with?:
25) What kind of materials would you like to work with?:
26) Have you met your grandparents?:
27) Boyfriend/Girlfriend:
28) Crush:
29) What celebrity would you date if you could?:
30) Current worries?:
31) Favourite online guy/girl(s):
32) Favourite place to be?:
33) Least favorite place to be?:
34) Do you burn or tan?:
35) Ever break a bone?:
36) What is your favourite cereal?:
37) Person you cry with:

Do you have...
38) Any sisters:
39) Any brothers:
40) Any pets:
41) An illness:
42) A pager:
43) A personal phone line:
44) A cell phone:
45) A visible birthmark:
46) A pool or hot tub:
47) A car:

Describe your...
48) Personality:
49) Driving:
50) Your clothing style:
51) Room:
52) What’s missing:
53) School:
54) Bed:
55) Relationship with your parent(s):
56) Do you believe in yourself?:
57) Do you believe in love at first sight?:
58) Consider yourself a good listener?:
59) Have a future dream that you would like to share?:
60) Get along with your parents?:
61) Save your e-mail conversations?:
62) Pray?:
63) Believe in reincarnation?:
64) Brush your teeth twice a day?:
65) Like to talk on the phone?:
66) Like to eat?:
67) Like to exercise?:
68) Like to watch sports?:
69) Sing in the car?:
70) What is a dream that you have all the time?:
71) Dream in colour?:
72) Do you have nightmares?:
73) Sleep with a stuffed animal?:
74) What's right next to you?:
75) What's on your favourite mug?:
76) What's on your mouse pad?:
77) Your favourite flavour of gum:
78) Your brand of deodorant:
79) Your dream honeymoon spot:
80) Your dream husband/wife:
81) What's hiding in your closet?:
82) Under your bed:
83) The name of one of your closest/best friends:
84) Your bad time of the day:
85) Your worst fear(s):
86) What's the weather like:
87) Your favourite time of year?:
88) Your favourite holiday?:
89) A material weakness?:
90) The weirdest food or drink that you like:
91) At the top of your "to-do list"?:
92) The hardest thing about growing up:
93) A pet peeve?:
94) Your scariest moment:
95) Your attitude about love?:
96) The funniest or most desperate thing you've done to get the attention of the opposite sex?:
97) The worst feeling in the world:
98) The best feeling in the world:
99) Who sent this to you?:
100) 3 people you tag:



TAGGING GAME 4:

Name:
D.O.B.:
Location:
Religion:
Occupation:

APPEARANCE
Hair:
Eyes:
Height:

STYLE
Clothing:
Music:
Make-up:
Body art:

RIGHT NOW
Wearing:
Listening to:
Thinking of:

LAST THING YOU...
Bought:
Ate and drank:
Read:
Watched on TV:

EITHER/OR
Club or houseparty:
Tea or coffee:
Achiever or slacker:
Beer or cider:
Drinks or shots:
Cats or dogs:
Single or taken:
Pen or pencil:
Gloves or mittens:
Food or candy:
Cassette or cd:
Coke or Pepsi:

WHO DO YOU WANT TO...
Kill:
Hear from:
Get really wasted with:
Look like:
Be like:
Avoid:


LAST PERSON YOU... AND WHEN?
Touched:
Talked to:
Hugged:
Instant messaged:
Kissed:

WHERE DO YOU...
Eat:
Dance:
Cry:
Wish you were:

HAVE YOU EVER...
Dated one of your best friends:
Loved somebody so much it makes you cry:
Broken the law:
Ran away from home:
Broken a bone:
Cheated on a test:
Skinny dipped:
Played truth or dare:
Flashed someone:
Mooned someone:
Kissed someone you didn't know:
Been on a talk/game show: nope
Been in a fight:
Ridden in a fire truck:
Been on a plane:
Come close to dying:
Cheated on your boy/girlfriend:
Gave someone a piggy back/shoulder ride:
Eaten a worm/mud pie:
Swam in the ocean:
Had a nightmare/dream that made you wake up:

WHAT IS...
The most embarrassing CD in your collection:
Your bedroom like?:
Your favorite thing for breakfast:
Your favorite thing for lunch:
Your favorite thing for dinner:
Your favorite Restaurant:


ARE YOU...
A Vegetarian:
A Good Student:
Good At Sports:
Good At Wakeboarding/Snowboarding:
A Good Singer:
A good Actor/Actress:
A deep sleeper:
A Good Dancer:
Shy:
Outgoing:
A good stoyteller:



TAGGING GAME 5:

1. Name:
2. Nickname:
3. Birthday:
4. Place of Birth:
5. Zodiac Sign:
6. Male or Female:
7. Education:
8. Schools you went to:
9. Occupation:
10. Residence:
11. Screen Names:

___Your Appearance___
12. Hair Colour:
13. Hair Length:
14. Eye colour:
15. Best Feature:
16. height:
17. Braces?:
18. Glasses?:
19. Piercing:
20. Tattoos:
21. Righty or Lefty:

___Your 'Firsts'___
22. First best friend:
23. First Award:
24. First Sport You Joined: :
25. First Pet:
26. First Real Vacation:
27. First Concert:
28. First Love:

___ Favorites___
29. Movie:
30. TV Show:
31. Colour:
32. Rapper:
33. Band:
34. Song Right Now:
35. Friend:
36. Candy:
37. Sport to Play:
38. Restaurant:
39. Favorite brand to wear:
40. Store:
41. School Subject:
42. Animal:
43. Book:
44. Magazine:
45. Shoes:
46. alcoholic beverage:
47b. drug:
48b. article of clothing:
49b. website:
50b. video game:

___Currently___
46. Feeling: :
47. Single or Taken?:
49. Eating:
50. Drinking:
51. Typing:
52. Online?:
53. Listening To:
54. Thinking About:
55. Wanting To:
56. Watching:
57. Wearing:

__________Future__________
58. Want Kids? :
59. Want to be Married:
60. Careers in Mind:
61. Where do you want to live?:
62. Car:

__Which is Better With The Opposite Sex___
63. Hair colour:
64. Hair length:
65. Eye colour:
66. Measurements:
67. Cute or Sexy:
68. Lips or Eyes:
69. Hugs or Kisses:
70. Short or Tall:
71. Easygoing or serious:
72. Romantic or Spontaneous:
74. Sensitive or Loud:
75. Hook-up or Relationship:
77. Trouble Maker or Hesitant One:

___Have you ever______
78. Kissed a Stranger:
79. Had Alcohol:
80. Smoked:
81. Ran Away From Home:
82. Broken a bone:
85. Broken Someones Heart:
86. Broken Up With Someone:
87. Cried When Someone Died:
88. Cried At School:

___Do You Believe In___
89. God:
90. Miracles:
91. Love At First sight:
93. Aliens:
94. Soul Mates:
95. Heaven:
96. Hell:
98. Kissing on The First Date:
99. Horoscopes:

___Answer Truthfully___
100. Is there someone you want but you know you can't have?



TAGGING GAME 6:

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY...

1. Sun or moon?:
2. Winter or Fall?:
3. Left or right?:
4. Sunny or rainy?:
6. Where do you live?:    <------- (Right in the middle of innocent questions, so you’d answer without thought)
8. Do you want to get married?:
9. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?:
10. Do You Cook?:
11. Current mood?:



TAGGING GAME 7:

(Note: This one is horribly, horribly all wrong and should be reported immediately to Admin!  There were a lot of disgusting questions on this one, most pertaining to the worst sexual acts you can think of, and has NO place on dA!!!  I won’t post all of the questions here, as I will not advertise this filth.  Here are the parts that suggest rape or child abuse:

It begins like this:

“Just read the "offense" and if you've done it, you owe that fine.
Keep going until you've read each "offense" and added up your total fine.
Title your response "My Bar Tab is$........"
You don't have to confess your answers, just the amount of your fine.
…….
……

Had sex with someone under 21 and you are over 27 -- $25
Been raped -- $500
Have raped -- $200
Had sex with some one under 16 -- $300
Had someone come climb in your bedroom window for sex so your parents would not find out -- $100
Slapped someone across the face while fucking them-- $100
Fucked someone while they were crying-- $300  ……”

The whole list is full of obscenities and even includes raping animals.  I only put up what I felt was relevant to this article, but if you see this on anyone’s page, PLEASE REPORT THAT PERSON!  


I am not saying all of these games were invented by Pedophiles.  I AM saying there is a good chance they were and every single one of them is being viewed by online predators.

Every one of these tagging games has been answered in its entirety by kids under the age of 16, many of them 12, 13, 14.  

In every game, there is an attempt to find out Name, Birthday (legal records require birthdays…such as passports and illegal birth certificates), Age, Parents’ information, Family information, Likes and Dislikes (so the predator knows what they should say to get the kid to trust them), Cell phone information, WHERE THEY LIVE - which will be answered, also, by telling School information, Who the friends are (so the predator knows who they should avoid because friends often warn each other of danger and also report it when they think a friend is being victimized).

By asking about breaking any laws or disobeying parents, the predator is trying to find out of the child is someone willing to do things that won’t make their parents happy, willing to lie and protect bad people.  

By asking questions that seem to be geared toward adults: “What do you do for a living?” this will get a response like, “I’m only a kid!”  or  “I’m only 12!”  Information he is looking for.

Of course, inquiring as to secret e-mails tells the predator if the child is good at keeping secrets and if the child likes sneaking around, has a devious personality that will make people not believe them should they ask for help, and has the ability to hide online activity from parents.  

Tagging games can be fun.  I’ve participated in them, myself.  You cannot be ignorant, however, to the dangers on the internet.  You MUST protect yourself because there won’t always be someone looking over your shoulder to let you know something is dangerous.  

Now, before you adults out there say how stupid these kids are for answering, or make rash judgments about their intellect or naiveté, let me remind you that these are KIDS.  They have the RIGHT to be naïve, to be innocent, and no one has the right to take that away.

How dare ANYONE prey on the innocence of a child?  Children of any age have the right to believe people they meet.  Sure, they should be cautious and taught what to look for, but that doesn’t mean they should be condemned or chastised for doing what children are supposed to be able to do: trust in people.  Many of us are jaded so we say that we cannot risk trusting anyone.  How sad has this world become when children have to know the evils of mankind from the time they learn to speak?

WE are the adults.  WE are the ones who have no choice than to be suspicious of people who say, “Trust me.”  The only people to blame for a child being overly naïve are the adults for making this world one where kids can no longer be kids.

Instead of lashing out at them for making a mistake and trusting too easily, or for feeling safe on an internet site which allows anyone of any age to post, why not keep an eye on them and make certain they aren’t being victimized?  When you see a minor playing this game, answering these questions with too much honesty, explain to them what is wrong with doing this.  Send them a link to this article if necessary.  But don’t criticize them silently while doing nothing to protect them.  You’re only helping the sexual predators by ignoring it.

I don’t know when the world decided that this “Every man for himself” mentality should also be applied to children, but it’s absurd!  I would say barbaric or uncivilized, but even pre-historic man defended his clan as did the women defend all of the young.

I do all I can to watch out for the younger people on my list and on dA because I am an adult and that is my job.  Any adult who comes across a child being victimized has an obligation to protect that child out of merely being a productive and civilized member of this human race.


To the kids - young and teenage - out there who feel you Must rebel, feel you don’t have to listen to anyone telling you what to do here, or feel the adults are making things seem worse than they are, remember that most of us who try to make you see these things have been there.  We know what to look for and what it is when we see it because it happened to us or someone close to us.  If it weren’t real, there would be no victims of child abuse.

When someone over 18 tries to explain what you are doing that is dangerous or harmful, they are trying to keep you safe from someone over 18 who condones what you do and encourages it so he/she can get to you.


Here are some general common sense rules to keep in mind when filling out Anything or chatting with Anyone online:  

1.  Never give out personal information on the Internet. Don't share your real name, where you live, where you go to school or anything about your family.  Not your birthday, place of birth, mother’s or father’s names, or pet’s name.  In case you didn’t know, because you wouldn’t have credit cards or bills, these are all security questions card companies ask to keep your parents’ accounts safe from identity thieves.

2.  The person who claims is a 13 year old from Cuba or Hawaii may very well be a 43 year old pervert 100 miles from your house.  You do not know WHO that other person is, and just because they say it, it doesn’t make it the truth.

3.  Don't agree to meet anyone you've talked to on line. Tell your parents if an on–line friend wants to get together.  Suggesting to the friend that your parents join you will also help you find out if the person is real.  If they make excuses why they can’t meet your parents, they have something pretty bad to hide!  Tell your parents right away and contact the police!  Immediately!  You aren’t the only intended victim and you will save a lot more kids by speaking up.

4.  If you fill out a personal profile that others can read on line, don't write anything that says too much about you. Even if it’s an online site set to private.  You may befriend someone who is out to get kids like you.  

5.  Don't write back to flames (people who use bad language or want to get into an argument on line).

6.  Log off immediately if you see or read something that personally upsets you. Tell your parents or a teacher if something like that happens.  You have every right to leave a chat or ignore any communication that tries to talk you into doing something you don’t like or in any way makes you feel uncomfortable.  If someone gets angry with you for leaving the communication or blocking them, report them!  A real friend would not do such a thing and you owe them nothing after they disrespected you.

7.  Protect your password. No one should ever ask you for it for any reason.

8.  Don’t tell your secrets to someone you just met and don’t know outside of the internet.  Secrets can be used against you to know how far this person can go to hurt you.  Secrets can also be used to blackmail you later from telling about something they say or do to you.  If you need someone to talk to, make sure whatever you say is something you would feel comfortable for your parents to know if ever this person threatens to tell.  

9.  NEVER send pictures over the Internet unless your parents know about it.

10.  Let your parents know where you go online so they can make sure it isn’t a site set up to get information or hack your computer for your location.  Only people with bad intentions have things to hide online.  Remember that.


AND PARENTS!  YOU NEED TO LISTEN UP, TOO!!!

1.  Keep the computer in a family room, kitchen or another area where you can monitor its use.  Having an internet hook up in your child’s room is Neglectful, Dangerous, and just plain bad parenting when you Know all the dangers children face online every day.

2.  Limit your child's time on line, just like you do their television viewing. They need a balance of activities in their lives, and the more they rely on the computer and internet as their entertainment, the more comfortable they will feel talking to strangers about anything.

3.  Take time to teach your children how to use the computer and internet responsibly.

4.  Discuss the rules with your children. Post them near the computer as a reminder.

5.  Ask about your child's on line friends, so you know with whom they are communicating.  Let your child know that you Do care about their safety and Are watching to be sure they remember your guidelines.  

6.  Most Internet providers offer parental controls with their service. Use them to keep children away from undesirable sites.  Report anything that gets by parental controls and let your Internet service provider know what you expect in terms of keeping kids safe.

7.  Learn all you can about blocking and filtering software offered by computer stores. Many can be purchased or downloaded for FREE.

8.  Check out the World Wide Web for organizations that represent children's rights. Do a search using keywords such as: Internet safety for kids, and your browser will take you there. Many have newsletters you can download to keep you updated on the latest Internet information.

9.  Don’t use the tired old excuse that kids can get internet access anywhere, so there’s nothing you can do.  Safety begins at home!  If you teach your child what he or she needs to know in life, be open and honest about the dangers out there, help them understand what they can do to stay safe, then you have given them a fighting chance when they aren’t in your presence.  

Sending them out into the world to learn on their own is the same as sending them out with an “Exploit me!  My parent’s don’t care!” sign hanging from their neck.

10.  Additionally, Morality/Dignity/Self-respect begins at home.  If you don’t want your child taking sexually explicit photos of themselves with that camphone you irresponsibly gave them, or webcam you allowed them to use when they close their door to get online, then make sure they know they are not a piece of meat.  

Make sure your children know they don’t deserve to be treated like a sexual object for anyone because they are better than that.  Let them know that it isn’t just something you don’t like or agree with.  Let them know it’s also that you know they deserve to be treated better.  A lot of these kids don’t get praise or acceptance at home.  Then they meet someone online willing to give it to them…as long as they get naked for them and tell them anything they want to know.




In closing, I want to ask that everyone please keep an eye out for our kids - and they are OUR kids because this is an art family.  These predators have snuck in under our radar to hurt OUR children, and we shouldn’t tolerate it!

Please, let’s continue to work to keep deviantART safe.  Make these tagging games go away by reporting them to deviantART.  Let Admin know you feel this is not only Spam but posing a hazard to the kids here because they feel safe enough to answer honestly.  

If you have any questions about this article, or are concerned about something that is happening to you or a friend, please feel free to comment here or in a private note.  I will be happy to discuss it with you.  

Sincerely, MASPP
(written by )