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Microeconomics for Online Crimes Against Children: Stop Children from Being a Part of the Supply

Vanessa Valencia

In 2022, 7 children per day became victims of online exploitation (FBI, 2022). 


We use our phones for everything. Communicating with others, getting information, doing homework, shopping, playing, and we rely on them so much that it's easy to overlook the issues and dangers that come with using them. Children are especially susceptible to predators due to their innocent and naïve nature. A predator can hide behind a screen and pretend to be ANYONE – a child, a relative, a real or supposed friend, or an authority figure. Your child will be none the wiser and can easily become a part of the “supply” to meet the demand of ill-intentioned individuals. Predators use subtle and manipulative tactics to put the child in a compromising position, ensuring a child will comply with their demands. This is called “grooming.”


We must recognize the unrelenting demand for child sexual abuse, imagery of children being sexually abused, and romantic relationships with children. Adults of all ages can be perpetrators, and they need a supply of vulnerable children to fill the demand. Catching these criminals is virtually impossible [Davison, CBC] which means that their horizons are expansive and their networks get bigger every day. This threat can be mitigated by having preventative conversations and taking precautions with your child and their device. 


So, parent, what can you do to protect your child from online dangers? 


Prevention Starts with Parents (PSWP) recommends delaying access to social media and restricting childrens’ unfiltered internet access. This decision should not be made flippantly, and should be made with the understanding that there are many risks that come with children having a personal device. When you choose to share a cellular device with your child, be the kind of parent that checks the device frequently and randomly, and explain to your child why it’s important for you to be involved in their online activity. Your child’s safety is more important than their online privacy. 


Once the device is shared with the child, PSWP recommends that directions and boundaries are provided with the phone. We suggest you choose a phone from Bark, Pinwheel, or Gabb Wireless. Use these phones in conjunction with a family tech contract from Bark, Child Rescue Coalition, or Carly Ryan Foundation, utilizing in-app parental controls, and restrictions for when the phone can be used. You could also use a monitoring application like Covenant Eyes


Lastly, educate children on the dangers that exist online. Owning a cellular device comes with responsibility, and some of that responsibility includes transparency with parents, being educated on red flags online, and not crossing boundaries with the device. Children need to understand “modern day stranger danger” online, and that engaging in conversations with people they do not know in real life should not happen. 


If you feel like your child is old enough to have their own device, then they are old enough to understand the dangers that come with that privilege. Creating open communication with your child from the start teaches them you are aware of what is not allowed and the darkness children face online. Children must know they can come to you when they’re faced with a difficult or inappropriate situation. 


What if my child becomes a victim of an online crime? Please refer to one of our free resources that address what to do if you find your child to be in an online relationship - “My Child is in an Online Relationship - What Now?” We always instruct parents to report the online crime to their local law enforcement agency and to never engage with any accounts that are involved. 


Prevention Starts with Parents is here to support you as you navigate online safety regarding your child. If you would like a more in depth discussion on this topic, please reach out to alison@preventionstartsiwthparents.com to book a class about preventing child sexual abuse. 


Written by: Vanessa Valencia, Technology Intern with Prevention Starts with Parents

Date: April 2024


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