I've noticed over the course of running this website that when crimes are committed, and the perpetrator belongs to a vampire/gothic social network site, that the site is often thrust into the spotlight, sometimes in an unflattering way.  

So I got to thinking, I wonder if these types of sites are more likely to "harbor" these types of individuals. Now, I'm not saying that people on the fringe of society troll these sites looking for unsuspecting victims. Well, let me restate that. I'm sure that these types of networks are a draw to violent people; but I'm sure that, over all, the membership are great folks just looking to share a common interest.

So is it ultimately the responsibility of the website owner to ensure the safety of their members? After all, members are meeting via the services they provide. Or, does the fault partially lie with the person the crime is committed against? After all, just how trusting can one be of someone you met over the internet? I'm not saying you should blame an individual for crimes committed against them, it's just that, when I read these news articles, I think to myself "they should have known better". I guess I still can't believe that in this day and age, some still prey on the naiveté of others.

VO has always had a smaller core group of users and has always been geared towards the "lighter" side of vamp/goth culture, so this is not an issue that I've ever had to deal with, nor do I ever expect to have to. But as an owner of a website, I would be devastated if an act of violence was ever committed against one of my members by another member met through VO.

Do you think the website owners are partially responsible, or is it like blaming the gun manufacturer instead of the shooter? Or blaming the culture that promotes acts of violence instead of the thug? What responsibility, if any, lies with the vicitim?

V.