Online enticement grows as children are targeted at younger ages
May 29, 2024, 7:00 PM
59% of children targeted by predators online were 15 years old or younger, according to a new study from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — Children being targeted online are getting younger and access to the Internet is only getting easier.
59% of children targeted by predators online were 15 years old or younger, according to a new study from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The study also found that most predators targeted children though social media, messenger and gaming apps. Most commonly, predators target apps that children use daily: Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Discord and TikTok.
Staying on top of internet safety
Detective Dustin Stewart with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said keeping an open conversation with your children about what they do online is key to keeping them safe.
“You wouldn’t leave the door wide open for anything to come into your house. So, why would you do that for your kids in giving them that unrestricted access without knowing what’s going on and giving them that barrier of protection?”
Stewart said its getting more common for younger kids to have phones, smartwatches, iPads and other gaming consoles.
“That’s how a lot of work is done in schools now, on computers. Predators know that. Predators are keeping up with that information and they’re taking advantage of it,” he said.
Where it’s happening
Stewart said they’re seeing growing number of cases involving kids games. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also found more cases using popular gaming and messenger app, Discord.
Along with this, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported that more are using apps marketed for younger children. They saw a 97% increase in online enticement reports from 2019 to 2020.
What’s the solution?
Stewart said we have to teach our children to avoid strangers online, like a modern version of “stranger danger.”
“We kind of have to do that now with the internet. We have to teach our kids [that] if you come across somebody online that you don’t know in real life, don’t talk to them. Don’t engage with them. Don’t give them any of your information.”
