This story begins when I met him on one of the countless forums and chat rooms dotting the internet. We started talking and soon we hit it off. He was, supposedly, a boy my age. We got along fairly well. He constantly complimented me, calling me beautiful and gorgeous. After a few weeks Mark, his supposed name, asked me to strip. It was sudden and I was caught by surprise. A million thoughts rushed into my head however, after a few seconds, in a split-second decision I powered up the camera on and lifted my shirt. If I had known what that decision would lead to I would have reported him there and then and a few days later I would tell my friends about that time a creep tried to get me to strip. Unfortunately, that is not what happened.
Weeks passed and by then that had become a regular activity. We, eventually, decided to meet in person. I took a lot of time getting ready, picking the right clothes, the right makeup and the right shoes, all for him. When Mark arrived at our meeting spot, I was ready to crack a joke about boys always being late but the sight in front of me made me reel back in shock. Instead of the boy I expected to see, in front of me was an older man. I immediately thought in shock that this is who I was striping for. I tried to excuse myself, but he sat down next to me on the bench. I was noticeably uncomfortable to say the least, so he started to try and explain himself. I don’t know what it was but something about the way he spoke to me made me feel special. Like I was the only one he wanted to talk to, the only one special to him, the only one he wanted. After a few hours talking I felt comfortable around him again, it was like he knew exactly which buttons to press. Then he invited me to his house. I was apprehensive at first but, eventually, I agreed to go with him. So far, the greatest mistake of my life. The time at his house is something I have no wish of recounting in any way whatsoever. I ran home crying, thoughts scattered, “How will I tell mum and dad about this?!” was one of the most prominent questions. Thankfully I didn’t have to answer that question just now.
Finding the house empty I went to take a bath, hoping to clean myself from the filth he subjected me to. All the way I wished with all my heart that I had reported him that fateful day so that none of this could have happened. I tried to wake myself up, convinced that something this terrible could only happen in a bad dream, only to end in failure. I tried every method but all I was left with was the dried husk of my self-esteem. I had no idea how I would face my family, my friends, how I could even show my face at school. I was afraid to be judged, to be labeled and made fun of. My thoughts were brought back to that day. The day I could have stopped all of it before it even began. “At the very least”, I said to no one in particular, “now I know better”.
Gabriel Pavel, 10º GI never felt really loved by someone. I always liked being online and chatting with people. Suddenly, a cute guy started talking with me on the internet, and we got into a beautiful relationship. He would say amazing stuff about me and about how pretty I was. I couldn’t believe it, but I was in love with him. Time passed, and as our relationship progressed, we got more intimate. He would ask me to strip for him, which I couldn’t deny due to my feelings for him. Although, I started developing some insecurity based on his actions and on the way he would talk with me. We then decided to go out together. We would meet up in a green park near my house. As in the photos that he sent me, I expected him to be my age. When I got there, I found it strange that he was actually too old compared to the photos, being in fact an adult. We talked for a few minutes and I had a lot of fun meeting him personally. He seemed different from everyone else. After the meeting, he grabbed my hand and offered me to go to his place. I thought for a while... My parents would always tell me not to go to strangers' houses. However, I thought nothing bad could happen since I knew him (or at least I thought I did) and took the risk. Already in his place, he started acting different, a lot brute and telling me to get naked. The following events were simply terrifying. He took all my clothes while I tried to resist. He wouldn’t care about my loud voice begging him to stop with it. I felt like there was nothing to do, and in fact, there wasn’t. I could only think about how I ended up there, how things could’ve been different.
After some hours, I was looking at myself in the mirror of his bathroom, thinking what I could do to run away from the nightmare I was living. I noticed he wasn’t looking at me at that moment and ran away from the front door. I don’t know if he heard my fast footsteps running away, or if he just noticed 10 minutes after. All I wanted to care about was running away as fast as I could. I couldn’t stop crying on my way home, I just wanted to get there and end it all.
I had a hot bath as usual. The images that passed through my mind could only make me feel worse. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life. with that pain, with that regret. I went to the bottom and wished for the best. I couldn’t, or maybe I simply didn’t want to think about anything else. My heart was empty, I felt betrayed and at the same time ashamed of myself. The emptiness of my mind would shrink by time, and the good memories of life would make me regret it. I couldn’t stay there.
I came to the top, got out of the bathroom and made a change. I reported that man that made me believe in his lies and enjoyed the rest of my life. It was never too late.
Henrique Silva & Luana Andrade, 10º BHi, my name is Inês and today I’m going to tell you my story.
It was a normal day, like every other day. I'd wake up, do everything I had to do, you know, eat breakfast, shower, all that.
Every day I would check my friend group messages, I always had a lot of messages to read because my friends would never stop talking, they were constantly texting. But that day I had messages from two different chats, one from my friends and the other ... I didn't know who it was. I only knew it was a boy, he was seventeen and his name was Angelo - guess what, he was anything but an angel!
He was being nice and sweet, but my first thought was: don't answer, you don't know him you don't know if he's going to turn into a villain later on the other hand, I thought not everyone is bad he might just want a friend. I ended up replying, the only thing I didn't know was that he was going to become my hell.
We talked for weeks and texted each other every day, there wasn't a single day that didn't happen.
He was always saying that he wanted to see me, but I always said that I couldn't because of school. It was all excuses, part of me didn't want to meet him because I didn't feel sure about it.
One day he asked me for something and now that I look back, I don't know how I didn't realize what could happen next.
" How was your day? "
" Boring, funny, cute, and depressing. I felt so many emotions today. Today I saw a dog on the street, and it wasn't in the best condition, I just wanted to bring it home with me, but my parents wouldn't let me. He was so cute and sweet."
" I can tell how much you love dogs by the way you talk about them and because you're always talking about them."
" Who doesn't love dogs? They are the best" After a while without speaking, he said:
" Send me photos of you. But not just any photos"
Part of me didn't want to believe what I'd read. I just replied:
" Never ask me that again"
I turned everything off and didn't answer him for days. Every day he apologized and said that when he sent the message, he wasn't being himself.
Does he think that's an excuse? I don't know what's worse the fact that when he sent that message, he wasn’t being himself or the fact that he asked for it. I mean they are both bad. Days passed and I went back to talk to him. And then I found myself sitting on a park bench talking to him.
" Come with me"
I got tense, I didn't know what he wanted, and I think he realized because then he said:
" I just want to show you a dog, Inês" "OMG! You have a dog?"
When I realized I was going into his house. The house was so clean, and organized and cold. It felt kind of creepy. The house didn't look like it belonged to a 17-year-old boy, but I kept walking, and the next thing I knew I had two big hands on me, and things started to happen. I felt cold, empty, and emotionless as if the world had been taken from me. I was in shock I couldn't move; I was lost. The only thing I knew was that I had to get out of there as quickly as possible.
I don't know how I did it but I managed to escape, I told my parents everything and reported him. But even so, I continued to feel haunted by pain and fear. I felt that the air was carrying me whenever it passed. Nothing made sense, I didn't know who I was anymore, I just wanted to disappear. And after so long this hell still haunts me and will never leave me.
I just want to say that not everyone has bad intentions but whenever we feel that something is wrong, we should try to understand. Be careful with what you say online, what you see, and what you post. Stay safe.
Inês Velez, 10º BIt was a normal day, like every other day. I was just in my room on my computer when he appeared.
"Oh, he is beautiful" I thought. I immediately went to see his profile. His name was Mark, and he was my age and liked the same things I liked "How perfect".
And, suddenly, just like magic, a notification. It was him!
We started talking, he was so gentle, so nice and made me feel so special. In my eyes he was perfect and the only one for me.
One day we were talking (it was normal, I talked with him almost every day) and he asked me to take my top off.
"What?!" I thought to myself "He had never asked me to do something like that". It was so strange, but it was Mark who was asking. So I did it.
"You are beautiful, so perfect" he wrote back. He was happy, so I was too.
"Do you want to meet with me?" he said next.
"Of course I do!" I replied immediately.
Finally, I was going to meet Mark, my Mark.
So, after a week of trying new make-up looks and outfits, the day finally arrived.
I was so happy, "I'm finally going to meet him" was the only thought on my mind that day.
We talked about the meeting place and decided to meet in a park close to his house. I got there first and sat on a little bench.
There was no one in the park. Some time passed when a strange man appeared. He was dressed in all black and had a rose in his hand. "Oh, maybe the rose is for his girlfriend, how cute" I thought. But he stopped right in front of me.
"Your dress is very pretty" he said while handing me the rose.
"Mark?" I asked in shock.
"In flesh and bone, honey" he replied with a smile and still holding the rose that I was supposed to take.
I was so confused. Mark was a boy my age not a grown-up man in his 30's or up.
"Maybe I should go..." I said to him while standing up. He grabbed my arm and replied with a big, big smile, "Honey, where are you going? It's me, Mark!". I felt very uncomfortable but still stayed. "You know, the Mark you have been talking to for weeks!" he continued.
" I know! But when we were talking you said you were my age, you lied to me!" I replied, almost crying.
"Oh I know, I'm sorry, but what really matters is personality, don't you think? What's a little age gap if our love is so much stronger?" he said while touching my hand. He was right. Our bond was really strong, so I sat back and replied smiling "Yeah, I guess you're right" and finally took the rose he was holding.
After that, we spent the rest of the day laughing and talking.
When he suddenly asked me if I wanted to go to his house. Obviously, I said yes. So we went to his house. When we got there it almost looked like he was trying to hide me, but I didn't really care.
We were finally inside the house. "Make yourself at home" he said in a very sarcastic tone "sit on the couch" he ordered.
So I sat on the couch. But then I felt a hand on my leg. And suddenly he was all around, his smell, his voice, his eyes, his lips and the only thing I could hear and feel was my screams and tears.
When he finally stopped, I ran. Run for my life.
I felt dirty and like everyone knew what had happened. I just felt the tears in my face and that weird sensation.
"Why did he do this?!" "Is it my fault!?" " Why did I trust him?!" "Why why why?!" were the only screaming thoughts in my mind.
When I finally reached my home I ran to the bathroom, I went on the tube and tried to take the dirtiness out of me. I rubbed my skin so much that I almost peel it off.
A lot of days passed, and I still felt the dirtiness and his smell all over my body. I went to the bathroom. Sat on the tub. Turn on the shower and let the water fill it till it overflows.
I put my head back and let the water fill my body and for once I finally felt quiet.
All of a sudden, I see my family, my friends and the thing I should have done when I started talking to that horrible man. The moment he asked to follow me I should have blocked him, because you never know who is behind the screen.
I take my body out of the water and run to my parents, "I need to report this, I need to report this!".
And that's what I did.
Because no one should live with this feeling, so if you or any friend of yours has been through this, please think about it.
Rita Brandão, 10º GSome time ago, I found someone to chat with online. It was a boy, I thought we were the same age, but I eventually found out we weren’t.
At first we started talking like normally I would do with my friends, he would start messaging me and talking too much and then, one day he started to compliment me, I was enjoying it, because I was feeling loved and amused by the conversations, after that he wanted to finally meet me after long time chatting online, we planned to meet at the park, and it was agreed by both of us.
The day we agreed to meet, I showered and prepared myself like I was meeting someone very important. I walked to the park and waited for him, until there was a man that was walking in my direction, and he had a rose in his hand. At first it didn’t occur to me that the man could be my date, but it was him. He was much older than me, and I didn’t think about the problems that I could have, he was really sweet and nice to me, I felt really loved for the first time!
We talked the entire afternoon and after some time, he convinced me to go to his house and spend some time there. I didn’t tell my parents where I was and where I was going, but I really thought I wouldn't take too much time in his house. I was a little wrong about that. This man, my supposed online FRIEND, took me to his house and raped me, I didn’t have a clue on what he could do to me, I was really innocent.
I eventually escaped his house after he tried to lock me in it and I ran home. As soon as I came home, I went to take a bath. I felt so dirty.
When I was bathing, i even tried to listen to my thoughts and tried to drown myself, attempting to suicide... But I couldn't do it.
I talked to my parents about what had happened to me that day and I reported this man and stopped talking online for some time.
I hope this never happens to anyone! And if it does, please talk to someone and report what happened.
Ana Cavaleiro, 10º AHi. In this text, I will tell you the story that completely changed my life and give some advice for new Internet users.
There’s a side of the Internet that, actually, I would have never imagined if nothing of this happened.
Everything started when I was very young.
I had just received my first computer. I was so happy to finally discover all the possibilities that technologies had to offer me (poor young girl....).
I started looking for some chat platforms to chat with my friends and make some online friends too.
At some point, I met the gentlest boy (at least I thought it was a boy...). I was chatting with my friends when I received his message. I was so excited to meet a person online! Instantly we became very good friends. We would chat every day, talk about everything, send some pictures and he was the sweetest!
A few weeks later, he invited me to meet him at a park near my neighborhood, and obviously I said yes. Even though I didn’t know him, I was sure about my feelings, so I went anyway. When I got there, I sat down on a bench and waited for him. I was distracted in my thoughts, until I saw a man with a rose in his hand, walking in my direction. At first I didn’t care, he was too old (god, I was so wrong). It was him. He sat right next to me, and we talked for almost the whole afternoon, when he asked me to go to his house. I wasn’t so sure about it, but he convinced me somehow.
When we arrived, he took me to his room by force and abused me. I tried to stop him. I screamed, and screamed many, many times. Nothing happened. No one helped me and he didn’t stop. At some point, I don’t remember what happened next. I think, did I faint? I was so confused at that point. But I realized one thing. I had been abused. I finally woke up and managed to escape, so I ran until my legs hurt.
After some time I got home, and the first thing I did was take a bath. My head was a mess, and I was feeling so dirty. I didn’t think much and tried suicide, more than one time, but I just couldn’t. Then I realized I could do something about this situation, so I talked to my parents and reported the abuse.
From that day on, I promised myself that I would never talk with people online that I don’t know to not repeat the same mistake.
Helena Vaz, 10º AI met him online. Mark was the sweetest boy I’d ever met. He told me that I was gorgeous, magnificent and that I was the only girl that made him happy. It made me feel special. He began to ask me to undress in front of a camera, to his own delight. I thought it was normal, so I did what he asked me, although I felt extremely uncomfortable. Time passed and I agreed to meet him in person, in a garden near my home. I dressed up: a beautiful pink dress, a headband, and matching shoes. I was so happy. In my head I had this idea of how he would look like, how he would treat me. It was mere fiction, never went beyond that. When I saw a man instead of a boy walking towards me with a rose in his hand, I experienced a mixture of emotions. I was happy, but slightly anxious. I should have guessed.
He sat next to me and we talked for a while, until he invited me to his place. He said it was cold and that within four walls we would be better. I refused, but he kept insisting until eventually I gave in.
The road was not long, I knew those streets like the palm of my hand, but he insisted that we go hand in hand all the way to his place. When we arrived, he opened the door very gently and asked me to come in. Once inside he closed the door with the same gentleness with which he opened it and locked it quickly. I wish I’d never said yes to all that. It all happened so fast, one moment he was kissing me against my will, the next he was undressing me without my permission, while I was struggling to get out of there. In a moment of lapse on his part I was able to free myself and escape still half naked. I ran as fast as I could and only stopped at home.
I was devastated, traumatized. I didn’t tell anyone what happened in that house. I was in a constant struggle with myself, I couldn’t take it anymore and I did it. I tried to commit suicide, but I couldn’t, I didn’t have the courage. Days later he contacted me again and asked me to strip. I reported him. I wish I had done it before. There was always an alternative, a safe way. Now I know.
Mafalda Silva, 10º G“I just want to get out of here”. That quote is in my mind pretty often, but I didn't want it to be. I will tell you a story that happened to me, but I wish the girl wasn’t me. The Internet can be a dangerous place, but I unfortunately couldn’t understand that at the right time.
. One day, I was using my social media and I logged into a chatting room, which had a lot of people. I got a text from someone that i didn’t know, which i thought was a young boy, someone around my age, when it was actually a man way older than me.
I made a stupid decision, and I answered him back. We kept chatting for a while and I was happy, because he was making me feel pretty, funny, and special. After a few times of talking to each other he asked me for some pictures of mine. I didn't feel really good about that, but even so I sent him the pictures, but after I sent them, I got really happy with the feedback I got. After a few weeks I got a message saying: “Let’s go to the park and meet each other”. I said yes. I was feeling pretty nervous because I didn't know him, but I knew I liked him, so I went.
I was sitting on a bench when I saw a man walking in my direction with a red rose in his hand. I didn’t pay too much attention because I thought it wasn’t him based on his age. But it was him and he sat by the side and said he was sorry because he didn’t tell me his age, but I told him it was fine. We talked for a while until he asked me if I wanted to go to his house. I wasn’t convinced, but I went because I was in love, and I couldn't see the truth. After I walked to the front door we went to his room, and he wanted to abuse me and that was when I saw what was happening and when I finally woke up. It was too late; I had been abused. I said so many times: “I just want to get out of here” but he didn’t let me go. When he went to the bathroom I escaped, I ran until I couldn't run anymore. The first thing that I did when I got home was take a shower because I was feeling disgusting and I tried to drown myself but I was not brave enough. After the shower I tried to take my life again, but once again I couldn't. And that was when I did what I should have done since the very beginning, I reported the abuse. I promised myself I would never make the same mistake again.
Mariana Maia, 10º AOne day I started talking to a teenage boy named Mark, in the online chat, As time went by, we got to know each other better, I loved talking to him, I loved how he made me feel special and the fact that I was the only one he talked to and was interested in.
After a while we decided to meet in person, we arranged the meeting in a park, I eagerly prepared to finally meet the person who made me feel so special. But things did not turn out as I expected, because when I saw him personally, I realized that after all he was not a teenage boy, but a much older man.
Still in the park he tried to convince me to go with him to his house, but I was afraid, because the person I spoke to all this time, appeared to be more than half my age, but after so much insistence from him, I gave in.
On the way to his house I was still a little afraid, but I ended up leaving this fear aside, because he still had to be Mark who made me feel so unique and special. But when we got to his house things took a different turn, the man who was aggressive, abusive and raped me couldn’t be the same teenage boy who texted me how beautiful I was.
When I managed to escape from his home, I ran as fast as I could to my home where I could be safe from him, at least that’s what I thought.
As much as I tried to forget, I could feel the touch of his hands on my body and could see the images of the event through my mind.
To end that nightmare, I tried to end my own life, it was the way I found for that feeling to disappear.
But at that moment I realized that it wasn’t what made sense, it was denouncing Mark. Because I realized that I wasn’t the only one he made feel special, I wasn’t the only one he lied to.
Ana Maria Chemela, 10º GI was just a teenage girl when I started talking with people online. I thought that it was funny because I was making new friends.
It was then that I met him, a boy named Mark. For me, he was just a boy of my age, so we started talking.
He praised me a lot and made me feel special. We started getting closer and talking with each other all the time.
We were just in a normal conversation when he asked me to take my top of. In my head I thought that I should do it, so I did it. He told me that I was beautiful, and I felt so comfortable.
One day he asked me to go out with him. I accepted, because I thought it was okay, but if I had known what happened next, I would never have done it.
That day, I got ready and put on some makeup. But when I arrived, something was different, he seemed to be much older and besides he was out of control. He forced me to go to his house, I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. He took me to his place, and that's when I knew something was about to happen.
He raped me and hurt me. I panicked and ran away from his house crying. When I arrived home, I screamed and cried, wanted to take a shower, because I was feeling his hands all over my body. So, I go to the bathroom trying to get his hands and smell out of my body but I couldn't.
I felt disgusted with myself, I felt incapable and horrible in every way. And that's when everything started to get dark, I didn't hear anything anymore, it seemed like I had lost all my senses.
My body began to sink more and more, wishing to take my own life.
That's when I thought "I can't give up, I can't let the same happen to other girls, I'm capable.”
Then I denounced him, it was as if a weight had come out of my back, and as if in a way I had saved my life and even other girls.
After that I went back to being a kid, who the only thing that interested me was being with my friends.
How I know we can do something, don’t suffer in silence.
Beatriz Tavares & Matilde Júlio, 10º GOne day, I arrived home after a full day of school and went running upstairs to my computer to have fun. I end up staying online for a couple of hours talking to my friends, when my eyes encounter the lighted up notification icon. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the icon to see a message from a stranger.
-Hi pretty girl- he started.
- Hello... Do I know you...?
- I don't think so. But I saw your pictures and I thought you're beautiful. And that's how our conversation began. The way that he talked with me was strange, however he made me feel like a princess, always praising me and telling how pretty I was. He would tell me to show my breasts on camera in addition to some poses, on the other hand my mom warned me to not talk with strangers but wanted to make him happy. I ignored what my head told me and continued our conversation. Months passed and I fell in love more and more every time we talked besides dreaming of meeting him. That dream came true and we met in a park near my school after my classes without warning my mother. He was so sweet, brought me a rose and asked if we could pass by his house to eat something. I reluctantly accepted.
After he closed the door, he became violent and despite my efforts to get away, I got raped there... When he let go of me, I ran as fast as I could from there and didn't stop until I reached home.
The next months were the worst nightmare of my life. Start having depression and suicide thoughts, cried regularly and didn't want to leave home to go to school or see my friends. One afternoon I was taking a long shower, when I thought what could I have done to prevent that from happening to me. And realized that if i had reported and blocked him, i could have stayed safe. I felt so dumb and blamed myself. This will always be a weight on my life and sadly I can't undo the situation.
This is my story and I hope you can stay safe and not repeat the same mistakes I did.
Matilde Dias, 10º AHello, today, in this text, I will talk about a traumatizing episode of my life. A long time ago, I started talking with a person on the internet, a boy, I didn't know absolutely nothing about him but he praised me and made me feel good and confident. We talked every day. He was super sweet and generous and asked me for pictures. At first time I thought it was really awkward: he knew a lot about me and I didn't know anything about him but what he said made me happy and he told me was normal and so I sent it. Then he asked me for a date in a park and I went. When I got there I saw a man with a rose walking in my direction. Only when he sat down next to me that I realized was him. I was very uncomfortable with his age, because he was much older than me, but he convinced me that everything was okay. The date was going really well, he was still super sweet, I thought I'd found someone who really liked me, until he asked me to go to his house. I continued to find everything normal, so I went. I made the worst decision in my life. When we arrived, he showed me his house and, after this, I thought I could leave, he kidnapped me. He took me by force to his bedroom and abused me. He hurt me, physically and psychologically. When I could finally run out from his house and arrived at my house, I just wanted to cry, I couldn't believe it had happened. I was cry and report abuse. Then I went to take a bath, because I was feeling disgusting. I tried to drown myself, but I couldn't do it. After some time, reflecting, I concluded that everything was there, only with all the praises I deluded myself. I should have reported earlier, and I wouldn't have been hurt.
Catarina Cartuxo, 10º AOne day, I was in my room alone, and I started thinking that I wanted to meet new people and then I thought that the easiest way was to create an account on a website where we could make new friends and talk to others.
So, in that website, I met a guy, he seemed nice, and he made me feel special, his name was Mark. We started talking in a different way, I didn’t want to be his friend I wanted to be something more. Until one day he started to act a little weird and asked me to strip in front of a camera, I said no, but I still loved him, then he asked me if we could meet in person, I accepted. We met at a park and the first thing I saw was that he was an adult, but I still stayed there. Then he asked me to go to his place, so I went and that was where he abused me. It was the worst day of my life, I got traumatized, I felt so stupid, I ran away and when I got home there was just one thing in my mind, that thing was ending my life, so I tried to drown myself in the bathtub, but in the middle of that I just thought that I had to report Mark so other people could see what I didn’t. I really thought he was the right person.
Daniel Serafim & Rosabela, 10º BOne day, when I was surfing the internet, a guy sent me a message. We talked for a few days, and I sent some photos of me because he made me feel really special. After a few days, we agreed to meet in a park, and when he showed up, i saw that it was not a boy I had been talking to, but a man. I was scared but he made me feel so special that he convinced me to go to his house, even though deep down I knew I shouldn't. When I got to his house, he started touching me, more and more, until he finally raped me. I was so scared I froze, but I knew I had to get out of there. I finally managed to escape him and ran away as fast as I could, bruised, disgusted and embarrassed by allowing myself to be in that situation.
I got home in tears; I just wanted to take a shower and erase him from me. But I felt like I couldn’t. The more I rubbed, the more I felt him rubbing me. The more I touched, the more he touched.
I saw my mother’s medication, there, on top of the sink, as if it was staring at me, and just wanted to kill myself, so I tried. But I couldn’t.
I realized that none of that would erase it and give me the justice I deserved for what had happened to me. So that same day, I reported him. With this experience I learned that it is never too late to report a crime, even if you feel guilty, it is not your fault.
After a long time I was able to leave it behind me and finally go back to that same park with my friends.
João Cavalheiro, 10º GI was talking to a boy who made me feel so special. This guy while we were talking asked me to take of my top so that I could strip for him. While we were talking, we arranged to meet on a bench in a park, when he arrived I saw that he was an older man, after we talked, he convinced me to go to his house, where he raped me. I left his house crying and thinking why I had agreed to go to his house. When I got home I took a shower because I was feeling disgusted that a man like that had touched me, when I got into the tub I lay down and started thinking about what had happened and from there I tried to kill myself... but I didn’t have the courage to do it, instead I sat at my desk and had the courage to report him for abuse. After I did that I felt so much better, so I went to the park with my friends and had fun with them.
From this whole situation I learned not to trust people who try to talk to and meet girls like me, to try to hurt them.
Érica Meneses & João Morais, 10ºGHi. The Internet is not a safe place, it has some parts that make it even scary sometimes. I will proceed to tell you a story that happened some time ago, that changed my perspective about it.
One day, I was chatting in a platform when I received a message from an unknown person. I answered and we started talking. He was really gentle and sweet that it made me fall in love, we became really good friends we were talking every day and send some pictures. But one day he asked me to strip, I know it was wrong, but I was to love blinded to see it, so I did.
Sometime later he asked if I wanted to meet with him in a park, I accepted it even though I didn't know him. When I got there, I sat and waited, suddenly I saw a man with a flower in his hands coming for me. It was him; he was too old, but I didn't care, he sat on my side and we started talking. Then he asked me to go to his house, I said yes but I knew I shouldn't have do it. After a long walk we got there, he opened the door and I entered, he closed the door, traced it, closed the curtains, and took me to his room, which he then abused me there. The next thing I remember is waking up and running until I couldn't anymore. I then went home and took a bath, in the bath I was thinking about what had just happened, and I tried to commit suicide, but I didn't have the courage to do it. But I had to do something, so I took the bath and went to report the abuse. Today I have been more careful about the people I talk too and what and not I should do.
Rodrigo Russo, 10º AAt the time I thought it would be ok to chat online, meet new people as a fun experience. The way I feel today was an unexpected turn as a consequence of meeting people online. I met someone online named Mark, and ever since we started chatting I felt so special. He would call me beautiful, stunning and never seemed to run out of names. We finally decided to meet at a local park. Only at that time I found out Mark was older than he said he was online. This couldn’t be the same Mark I met online. He gave me flowers as a gift for my beauty and proceeded to ask me to visit his house, I refused many times, but then he insisted and took my hand, I was feeling forced to go. We got to his house and as soon as we entered, I shivered as I felt his hand touch my body. I felt paralyzed, I couldn’t move, but I should have. Not so long after he became abusive and even raped me, I felt horrible.
I managed to escape his arms and left his house crying. I ran home, but I didn’t feel any better. I still felt him touching me. I thought that the only way to end this suffering was to end my life. I didn’t have the courage. I thought of what I could’ve done. The only thing I needed to do was to press one button, and report Mark, to then at least calm myself.
Kevin Antunes, 10º A-Hi Vera!
Hi Julia, how are you today?
I am fine, thanks.
-So what have you been up to?
Oh, I started playing a video game where you can meet other players online, it's very funny.
You know, you should be careful about that What do you mean?
-Well, last year I found a group chat and I started socializing in there I don't see any problem with that Yeah, until I meet this guy.
His supposed name has Mark and his profile picture was of a young boy. He sent a message to me and we started chatting. He was very nice and he even complimented me, until...
Until what?
He asked me if I could strip for him. Oh...
-Yeah, and I did it.
- After that, he asked if I would like to meet up and I accepted. Why?
I was blinded by his compliments, he made me feel special. Where did you guys meet?
We decided to meet at the park, in the playground area. When I finally got to the park I sat on a bench waiting for him.
-Some minutes later an older man came up to me with a rose in his hand, it was Mark. So his profile picture was fake?
-Yeah, but maybe it is him but younger, or maybe a picture taken from the internet. -We started talking and he invited me to his place.
-I was so stupid at the point that I accepted. And you probably know what happened after...
Fortunately, he left is front door open and I could escape, but it was late, the worst have been made.
I felt so bad for what I have done that I even tried to drown myself but in the middle, I realized that I could stop him from doing the same thing to another girl. I got dressed very quickly and reported him.
Vera...I am so sorry for you, are you ok? I am, don't worry, I am better now.
The point is that you should be careful about meeting strangers online and not sharing your personal information.
The internet is a very dangerous place and I should have been more careful and reported him sooner when he sent that message.
I am going to be very careful don't worry, if that happens to me or someone I know, I will report it.
Vera Valente & Júlia Ferreira, 10º B