Dear Editor,

Summer is a time for fun activities, staying alert, and monitoring your child’s use of the Internet.

We know criminals are out there waiting to find, manipulate, and abuse us. We can grab the bull by the tail and be pulled about, or we can grab the horns and redirect our life situations. Being aware, alert, and ready to act to preserve our family’s safety is key.

Now that summer is upon us all, we should perhaps become much more aware of the dangers that exist when unsupervised children and teenagers begin to enjoy their summer breaks. One particular threat that exists is sex trafficking, especially for children and teenagers who have unrestricted access to social media and the Internet.

Sex traffickers commonly use online sites and the Internet to groom their potential victims, usually in places such as social media platforms, online gaming sites, and chat rooms targeting children. These predators are well trained in searching out and exploiting victims’ vulnerabilities, which include children who are online without adult supervision.

A chat may begin with the traffickers developing a limited relationship with the unsupervised child. To lure their victims, sex traffickers create fake social media profiles so they appear as children to their victims. These criminals specifically target children who don’t have proper security settings on their social media devices. It is an easy way for the trafficker to collect information on their potential victims.

Entering many different social media platforms allows the predators access to a child’s text messages, photos, character traits, and significant dates (for example, birthdays), making it easier for them to befriend and manipulate their victims.

Acting kind, empathetic, and befriending the child, the predator’s main purpose is to meet the child face to face. Understanding a child’s home life and their state of mind could assist them in developing ways to isolate the child. For example, if a family fight occurs and the child gets upset, the trafficker could arrange bus tickets, a ride, or arrange a place where they could get together and ‘talk’.

According to US statistics, females aged 15 years and younger male children are the prime targets for sex traffickers. Some of their strategies are quite complex. Some offer false modelling opportunities as part of their grooming process. Other times the predator may use a child’s peers as a means of approaching him or her. Shopping malls, bowling alleys, and bus depots are just some areas where traffickers recruit their victims.

Parents and family members are key to protecting children, especially during the summer months when children are at home and parents need to go to work. Adult supervision is key. Also finding an adult who is safe and trusted by the family is necessary. Remember, a significant percentage of children are sexually abused by someone they know.

Parents, don’t feel like you’re being distrustful of your children. Monitor their online activities regularly for indicators of possible new and unknown connections.

Folks, like a forest fire, only you can keep your child safe.

Steven Kaszab

Bradford, Ontario

skaszab@yahoo.ca