Bullying is no longer just the biggest kid on the playground. What once was stealing lunch money or the classic ‘kick me’ sign has evolved. We call it 'cyberbullying'. Victims are no longer 'safe' once they get home because the source of their torment lives in their pocket.
Cyber sexual abuse happens more often than you think. It may have happened to you or someone you know. Cyber sexual abuse, or image-based sexual abuse (IBSA)), refers to a form of online abuse that includes sextortion and nonconsensual dissemination of (genuine or AI-generated) intimate images (NDII) (a.k.a. revenge porn or nonconsensual pornography).
Most children do not know they are being groomed online, even if they know the signs to look out for. As human beings we typically have what's called a 'normalcy bias', which is a cognitive bias that leads people to disbelieve or minimize threat warnings. In other words, it is the "that can't happen to me" mindset, or the "bad things happen to other people".
In today's digital age, any young person with internet access is at risk of online sexual abuse and exploitation. As parents, we want to trust what our children do online, but we often aren't fully aware of the potential dangers they face. These risks can be hard to see, especially if we don't understand our children's online activities or how to use parental controls. It's crucial to identify the signs of danger and take proactive steps to protect our kids.
In today's digital age, the dark web poses significant threats to children by exposing them to a secret digital world. While the internet offers a wealth of educational resources and entertainment, it also serves as a haven for anonymous crime and illegal activities. This level of the internet, accessed via a TOR browser, was originally used by US government employees for confidential information exchange. Unlike the standard internet, websites on the dark web are not indexed by search engines and cannot be accessed through regular web browsers.
Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM), also referred to as "child pornography," involves photos and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of children. The term "child pornography" is misleading because it implies consent, which children cannot legally give.
With the rise of online predators, online sex crimes like sextortion are becoming more prevalent. Sextortion, a disturbing form of online exploitation, poses significant risks to children and teens. In 2020, sextortion became the second most lucrative crime worldwide, affecting up to 5% of children and youth. Sextortion—a blend of the words ‘sex’ and ‘extortion’—involves predators threatening to share nude or explicit images they have received from the victim, often while posing as teenagers.
In today's digital age, our children spend more time online than ever before, opening them up to various risks, including online grooming. But what exactly is grooming, and why is it such a concern? Grooming is a deceptive process where someone builds a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with a child or young person to manipulate, exploit, and potentially harm them. It's not always easy to spot, as groomers often appear friendly, kind, and trustworthy. They may use compliments, gifts, and attention to gain the child's confidence.
Technology has changed our world in amazing ways, making our lives easier and more connected. From talking to friends across the globe to learning new things online, the benefits are incredible. However, with these great advantages come a extensive amount of risks, especially for children.
Last week we talked about a few ways to educate our children on ways to help prevent child abuse and equip them with skills to report it. This week we’re going to continue with those tips to make sure that our children remain safe and well-educated.
From the time they are born, we teach our children ways to keep themselves safe. Whether it’s a hot pan, an unknown dog or cat in an alleyway, or that we shouldn’t take candy from strangers. However, most of the time, children aren’t taught about body safety until they are much older, such as middle school health classes or an assembly about consent and dating safety. In some situations, though, this education comes much too late. You may think that your child is too young to learn about these things, but, by discussing things as soon as possible, you can give your child the knowledge to save themselves from being victimized.
Supporting a child who has been abused can be an incredibly emotional and challenging experience for parents. Not only is your child trying to process the event, but, as a result, you may also be experiencing a range of emotions. During this time your child will be relying on you and your guidance to process and heal. You are their rock, their advocate, and it is a lot of responsibility. To help you navigate the unknown and potentially complicated path ahead, we've provided a brief road map
When your child has experienced day care abuse, it can be challenging to recognize the signs as they may not always be obvious. Sometimes, even when there are physical marks like bruises, they can be easily dismissed as regular childhood bumps and scrapes. However, knowing what to look for is essential in identifying symptoms early on before it becomes a more significant issue.
It's essential for both daycare providers and parents to acknowledge their responsibility of maintaining child safety in day care facilities. Daycare centers play a pivotal role in the lives of countless families, providing a secure and nurturing environment for children while their parents work.
Reporting day care child abuse is crucial to the protection of our, and all, children. Being proactive and vigilant can prevent trauma that affects children throughout the rest of their lives. Day care centers are meant to provide a nurturing environment for our little ones, but unfortunately, instances of child abuse can occur.
Child abuse is a harrowing reality that can have devastating consequences on a child's physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. As a society, it is our collective responsibility to understand the various types of child abuse and equip ourselves with knowledge on how to navigate these sensitive and challenging situations. The following are four types of abuse your child may experience while at day care.
Day care abuse can happen at any time. As parents, we trust day care facilities to care for our children, but regardless of our best efforts, incidents can leave families devastated and children traumatized. Thankfully, when we are faced with this unfortunate reality there are civil courses of action we can take.
Sometimes it feels like our spouses or loved ones are hiding something from us. As humans we all have our own quirks, but when your nearest and dearest is suffering in silence from childhood sexual abuse it may not be something they’re willing to talk about or even acknowledge.
In recent years, especially with the virality of the #MeToo movement, there has been a growing awareness and advocacy surrounding child sex abuse in both the online and real world spheres. However, not every survivor is still a child. Men and women live in silence for decades while dealing with the trauma that stems from these heinous crimes.
As a parent, you try to be a friend, protector, teacher – in short, everything for your children. It is easy to say that you are always going to be there if they need help, but sometimes you child may feel that there are certain things they are unable to tell you.