It’s hard to stomach, but the primary factor in a person’s vulnerability being trafficked is their age. Worldwide and in the U.S., the average age minors are first exploited for sex is 12-14. How does this happen? Like the rest of us, traffickers have become more tech-savvy in recent years and are now preying on children and teens online. Make no mistake; they have a physical presence at locations that often attract youth (like schools, malls, and parks) to groom potential victims. However, well-intentioned technologies like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are now commonly used to distribute child pornography and lure adolescents into trafficking.

[image src=”https://lifefortheinnocent.org//wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2014/09/teen-on-ipad_320x500.jpg”]

Do you really know what the kids and teens in your life are sharing online? It’s crucial to teach them both the dangers and the value of modern technology. For example, youth may unintentionally attract the attention of a predator by using a certain hashtag or venting on Twitter. Parents should help kids navigate technology by offering practical tips like:

  • Don’t share personal information (like where you live or go to school)
  • Never share suggestive or nude photos
  • Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know (explain that a Facebook friend is not the same as true friendship)
  • Tell Mom & Dad if anything uncomfortable ever occurs. – There’s a glaring gap in communication:75% of kids sexually solicited on the Internet did not tell a trusted adult about the incident. Create an continual, non-judgmental conversation to build trust, establishing a safe place for prevention and intervention.
Our proactive protection is imperative.

Consider purchasing parental control software and apps for computers and cell phones that your kids may access. These are programs that help you oversee your child’s activity (a minor investment considering the breadth of youth exploitation on the Internet). Additionally, kids and teens must know how they too can guard themselves, online and otherwise. At our upcoming Youth Prevention workshop, your children will be taught how trafficking happens and how they can be the eyes and ears among their peers. Abstaining from technology is not necessary or possible; however, further educating yourself and your children is vital.

[image src=”https://lifefortheinnocent.org//wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2014/09/JTT_youthpreventionworkshop_webBanner-012.png” link=”true” target=”blank”href=”https://lifefortheinnocent.org//calendar/life-for-the-innocent-youth-prevention-training-workshop-ages-12/”]