by janetlombardo | Feb 17, 2024 | Blog Post
Protecting Our Children in the Digital Age: Safeguarding from Online Predators
by Janet Lombardo
Founder, CEO – HTPA
Executive Summary:
The internet offers immense opportunities for children, but it also harbors hidden dangers. Predatory individuals may exploit children online through various means, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), child exploitation, and sextortion. This whitepaper aims to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to effectively safeguard their children from such threats. It defines key terms, outlines the nature of these dangers, and presents actionable strategies for creating a safe online environment for children.
Defining the Threats:
- Child exploitation: Any act or series of acts that involve a child being used for someone else’s gain or satisfaction, including sexual, economic, or psychological exploitation.
- CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material): Any visual or auditory content depicting the sexual abuse of a child, including pornography, exploitation, and trafficking.
- Sextortion: Coercing someone into sexual acts or sharing explicit material by threatening to expose them or harm them.
Understanding the Predators:
Online predators often use manipulative tactics to gain children’s trust and exploit their vulnerabilities. They may create fake online personas, offer gifts or promises, and exploit emotional needs or curiosity. Recognizing these tactics is crucial to preventing victimization.
Building a Safety Net:
Open Communication: Foster open and honest conversations with your children about online safety, emphasizing trust and understanding. Create a safe space where they can freely discuss their online experiences and concerns.
Tech Savvy Parents: Familiarize yourself with the platforms your children use, understand their features and privacy settings, and set clear boundaries for their online activities.
Digital Citizenship: Educate your children about responsible online behavior, including respecting others, protecting their privacy, and avoiding sharing personal information.
Monitoring and Filtering: Consider using parental controls and monitoring tools to help filter harmful content and track online activity. However, remember that these tools are not foolproof and open communication remains paramount.
Spotting the Signs: Be aware of potential red flags like changes in behavior, secretive online activity, emotional distress, or withdrawal from family and friends.
Empowering Children:
Safety Skills: Teach your children how to identify suspicious online behavior, block unwanted contacts, and report inappropriate content. Encourage them to be critical of online information and to always prioritize their safety.
Trust and Reporting: Emphasize that they can come to you with any concerns without fear of judgment or punishment. Create a safe environment where they feel comfortable reporting suspicious activity or harmful situations.
Seeking Support:
Cybersecurity Resources: Leverage resources from law enforcement agencies, cybersecurity organizations, and child protection NGOs.
Mental Health Support: Provide access to mental health professionals if your child experiences anxiety, fear, or trauma related to online experiences.
Conclusion:
Protecting children from online predators requires a proactive and collaborative approach. By building a safe environment, cultivating open communication, and empowering children with essential skills, we can ensure that the digital world remains a place of opportunity and exploration, not of exploitation and harm.
Additional Resources:
Human Trafficking Prevention Alliance: https://www.ht-prevention.org
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/home
by janetlombardo | Oct 30, 2023 | Blog Post
Did you know?
According to the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, boys represent the fastest-growing segment of identified human trafficking victims. UNODC’s 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, released in January 2023, notes that the percentage of boys identified as victims of human trafficking more than quintupled between 2004 and 2020 – a much larger increase than for men, women, or girls. The same report notes males (including boys and men) account for 40 percent of all identified victims of human trafficking. While women make up about twice the percentage of identified trafficking victims as men (42 % to 23 %), the percentage of trafficking victims who are boys and girls is almost the same (17 % and 18 %).
Males are less likely than females to say they are victims of human trafficking, even though they are just as likely to be trafficked. Men are more likely to think of themselves as being unlucky or gullible, rather than exploited.
What can we do?
Raise awareness! Promote change in your community and help victims come forward. Taking the power away from predators is key.
by janetlombardo | Oct 15, 2023 | Blog Post
Parents often ask us at HTPA, “What are some things I can do to reduce my teen’s risk of being trafficked?”
We can all do something to help protect our children. Education is key. We recommend parents and guardians to learn about the risk and protective factors of human trafficking and child exploitation. It’s especially important to educate yourself about the signs of human trafficking and child exploitation.
Talk, they will listen.
Talking with your kids about human trafficking can be difficult, but they will listen. They need to know that you care and that you will always be there for them no matter what. Here are some simple things you can do to safeguard your teen from human trafficking and exploitation:
- Talk with your kids. It’s so important to spend quality time with your child.
- Build trust and respect with your teen so they feel comfortable talking to you about anything.
- Know who your teen hangs out with and who they are communicating with online,
- Monitor your teen’s activities on and offline.
- Be mindful of your teen’s spending habits and talk to them if you notice a sudden increase in expenses.
- Make it clear to your teen that they will not get in trouble for asking for help, even if they made a mistake.
- It’s important to talk to your teen about the importance of knowing the phone numbers of trusted adults in case of an emergency. Make sure they know who to call if they feel unsafe or need help.
- Teach your teen about online safety and how to avoid dangerous situations.
- You need to live in your child’s world. Stay up to date with technology and popular apps used by teens.
- Teach your teen that 911 is the number to call if they are ever in danger.
- Add the trafficking hotline numbers into your teen’s phone.
- Reassure your teen that you are there for them and that you will always help them.
HTPA is here to help you. We are all in this together!
by janetlombardo | Sep 9, 2023 | Blog Post
Social Media Exploitation and Sextortion is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. In 2021 the cyber tip line increased to 29.3 million.
Children are being targeted and groomed by predators online every day. Statistics say that up to 9,000 children are being blackmailed a day and 58% will meet their predator to try and stop the sextortion.
We know that child victims of exploitation do not always report the abuse they endure due to shame, fear, or threats from their perpetrators. Because of this underreporting it makes it difficult to estimate the true extent of this most heinous crime. In some cases, victims may not even recognize that they are being exploited, especially when manipulation and grooming are involved.
For this reason, we at HTPA like many other organizations consider it to be a hidden epidemic and for several other interconnected reasons:
Many people are unaware of the prevalence and extent of child exploitation. This is partly because these crimes often occur behind closed doors, making them less visible to the public.
Technology has given rise to new forms of child exploitation, such as sextortion. Predators have 24/7 access to children via the Internet through social media, games, and apps. CSAM or Child Sexual Abuse Material takes place on the dark web or encrypted platforms, making it difficult for law enforcement to track down perpetrators and for the public to become aware of the issue.
Child exploitation often involves international networks and organized crime groups that operate across borders. The global nature of the problem makes cooperation among countries critical to address it effectively.
If we are to combat this hidden epidemic, child exploitation, it is necessary to raise awareness, provide resources to support victims, and promote international collaboration and cooperation. Primary prevention through education and advocacy are crucial in bringing this hidden epidemic into the spotlight and advocating for substantial change.
This is HTPA’s vision, the end of child exploitation, human trafficking, and justice for all victims. We invite you to help us raise awareness about a crime that preys on our most vulnerable, our children.
