Children and young people are increasingly at risk of online exploitation, including sextortion, where predators demand money or sexual favours to keep images private.
That is why our teams prioritize training those who work with youth. We equip them to prevent, safeguard and respond in trauma-informed ways when children are targeted.
Most recently two members of our U.S. team delivered two training sessions to social workers from Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and to other service providers.
Olivia Messina, our Tennessee Program Lead, who co-led the training, said: “Training is so important because preventative care is just as important as aftercare. And with so many new technologies and platforms, it is imperative to understand how this affects younger generations, what the risks are, and how to ensure youth stay safe online. Thank you to MNPS for including us again this year and we hope that this was impactful for all who attended.”
Trainers Olivia and Richard Schoeberl, Ph.D., our United States Team Leader, informed participants about key anti-trafficking messaging such as the myths and facts, how to spot the signs, trauma-informed care and statistics.
They also spoke specifically about trafficking of young people and the ways this can occur, including online. The training covered digital safety, the various ways this can present, how to stay safe online, case studies, the risks of being online, how to identify potential predators, preventative measures and where to seek help. We also provided information about our U.S Program, giving participants relevant contact details.
In total about 20 individuals, representing multiple schools throughout Davidson County as well as two other organizations, took part in the training.
Olivia said: “We received a lot of positive engagements from those who attended. We appreciated the conversations following the training and the chance to connect with staff from schools and other service providers.”
Other topics covered include: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), re-traumatization, and how traffickers prey on youths with pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Our team looked at individual online platforms, and what it could look like for someone to be trafficked online. They discussed how traffickers utilize information they find online about their victim to build a relationship, then request photos, and sextort individuals.
Predators often target children through social media, gaming and chat apps. During the summer months, children face increased risks, when spending more time online can open the door to predators. It can be incredibly difficult to prosecute cases of online grooming because it is challenging to track where perpetrators are located.
In the U.S., 92% of teens report being online daily, and 89% use at least one of the most popular social media platforms (Pew Research).
In the UK, 96% of children aged 3 to 17 watch videos on sites and apps like YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat (Ofcom, 2023).
One of the key recommendations our team made was for professionals to build a rapport with young people so they feel comfortable and able to report any concerns. We also informed trainees about how fear can often be a barrier to victims self-referring, if for instance a perpetrator has made threats towards them. Lastly, we taught on how to avoid re-traumatizing survivors.
You can find out more about our training offer in the U.S. here: https://hopeforjustice.org/training-usa/.
To report a concern in the U.S., call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger or there is an emergency. To report a concern of human trafficking, email help@hopeforjustice.org or call (+1) 615-356-0946.
