The exploitation of children online is not as obvious as we think it would be

The exploitation of children online is not as obvious as we think it would be.

by Freedom 4/24 Intern, Carolyn Furmage

Protecting Children in a Digital Age

Children are the most vulnerable population in today’s culture and their exposure is only getting worse. Growing up in a world controlled by screens, less in-person interaction, and online entertainment, I became desensitized to what should be considered dangerous at a young age. The world became incredibly skilled in showing me the opposite of what safety and age-appropriate content looked like.

Safety and the protection of children look very different now than they did when my parents were growing up. My dad tells stories of walking into town by himself when he was ten to get groceries, while I was only allowed to hang out in my neighborhood at that age. When I was growing up, another layer was added to the complicated battle of giving a child some sort of freedom while also keeping them safe, and this is called the digital age. A screen and instant communication were shoved into my face at a young age—who was I, as a twelve-year-old, to know what was unhealthy for me? Everyone else was doing it, it was normal! I wasn’t cool anymore if I did not participate in social media usage and gaining followers. After all, being important and fitting in with society is the most important thing as a middle schooler. 

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says that children from ages 8-12 spend on average 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, while teens spend about 9 hours. These numbers paint the picture of how available technology is to children of today’s society and how much harder it then becomes to protect the most vulnerable population.

It’s not our first instinct to understand how increased time on phones can lead to exploitation and trafficking, but just like anything, it happens over time without obvious signs if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

What is exploitation and trafficking?

The words exploitation and trafficking are often misunderstood or avoided in conversation. Maybe one of the reasons why exploitation still happens so prevalently is because of a lack of understanding. In order to fight the issue, we must first gain knowledge of what the word exploitation means. Maybe avoiding the issue has caused negligence and allowance for a very real and rising problem. This is exactly what happens to children when they are surrounded by a culture that tells them through ads, everyday conversations, influencers, social media platforms, and so many other outlets that sex is something that requires performance, imitates violence, and is not that big of a deal. 

Understanding different terms and behavior patterns help paint the picture of what youth are navigating in regards to exploitation:

Online Exploitation is when someone online uses their power to make a child do sexual or criminal things, either online or offline.

Online Enticement involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense (to include the exchange of inappropriate pictures and videos) or abduction as defined by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

Online Solicitation of a minor involves engaging in online communication with a minor where the person asks or solicits the minor to meet with him in person to engage in a sexual act 

Sextortion as defined by the FBI, is a serious crime that occurs when someone threatens to distribute an individual’s private and sensitive material if they don't provide that requester with images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money.

Sex trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of commercial sex act according to the office of Homeland Security  

There is practically not a single platform immune to any of these forms of exploitation. Online exploitation happens on social media, gaming sites, messaging apps, company websites, etc. 

One of the more obvious forms of online exploitation is pornography.

Pornography is a billion-dollar industry that only furthers the dangers of an oversexualized culture and sex slavery. 23% of all 10 to 17-year-olds experience unwanted exposure to pornography and about 75% of child pornography victims are living at home when they are photographed. Parents are often responsible according to Darkness to Light. The average age for a child to first see porn is 11 years old. Let that sink in.

A common response of parents is “my child is different. I protect them from stuff like that.” The unfortunate reality is that your child was probably exposed to porn before you would even begin to think about the issue. As a parent, being naive to what our children go through will never help them overcome societal pressures and lies. Online solicitation can happen anywhere because of instant access to anyone, anything, or at any time. 

COVID 19 has created a whole new set of problems for the growing issue of online exploitation. USA Today reported in saying tips to the NCME (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children doubled from 6.2 million in 2019 to 12 million through June of 2020. They also stated that reports of online enticement went from 6,863 to 13,268 in the same timeframe. With people stuck in their homes and a phone at their fingertips, of course online presence is going to rise. Those who conduct any illegal activity of exploiting children will jump on the opportunity.

A not so obvious form of exploitation

You may be wondering, “what does online solicitation, sextortion, exploitation, etc. look like in my own home, or in my child’s life?”. Here is a common narrative we see, starting with what looks like a harmless relationship on social media: 

Next steps to protect

So, what do we do to protect one of the most vulnerable populations in the world? 

First, we must be willing to talk about the issue. As a society, we tend to steer away from conversations that could feel awkward or uncomfortable to us. If we do not bring awareness to the threat of safety to children, we will never take action steps to prevent the issue. 

Next, educate yourself on what online enticement, exploitation, and trafficking look like. Places such as the Department of Justice, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and countless other nonprofits work to create material in order to effectively educate those on what to look for. This education also includes familiarizing yourself with current social media platforms and messaging apps that children are frequently using. 

Finally, have the conversation with and model for your children what a safe and healthy relationship with the internet looks like. Creating some sort of structure for internet usage throughout the day is beneficial to children, especially if it is done in a way that does not make a child feel suffocated or controlled. 

Online exploitation of children can feel daunting and scary to talk about. However, the more we continue to discuss, educate, protect, and advocate for children the less exploitation will happen. As a community and as parents there is a responsibility to protect others and our children are some of the most important members.