The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (CCCP) is emphasizing the importance of communicating with children about staying safe while online.
From April to June, reported instances of child exploitation saw a significant increase across the nation. CCCP estimates the number of online incidents involving children is up by as much as 81 per cent when compared to last year.
"It is more common than people like to think," offers CyberTip Director Stephan Sauer. "I think individuals who have a sexual interest in children are often using different methods or tactics to engage with youth, such as posing as similarly-aged peers, and they may be using a number of platforms to do this."
CyberTip, a branch of the CCCP, is a national tipline for online child exploitation. They emphasis open communication between children and parents about the internet. Sauer believes this dialogue is essential in keeping children safe.
"Kids are engaged both online and offline with their peers," he says, stressing that conversations regarding online safety should be part of regular, healthy family conversations. "You are never going to know what your child is doing online... but you do have control of that device."
Sauer says establishing rules for online activity with children when they initially take an interest in the internet will make it easier to negotiate and adapt those limits in the future. Staying up-to-date with the latest apps can be tricky, but Sauer emphasizes the importance of doing so. When allowing children to use online technology, the CCCP suggests that parents also download the apps themselves and take time to explore their privacy settings.
"It does not necessarily mean the parent has to be one hundred per cent connected to the youth on that app but, really, it is about gaining an understanding of what that app or service offers so that you can mitigate the risks for your youth. In the event where anything happens that they feel uncomfortable online or the situation feels like it is getting out of hand, (you) are there as parents to help guide them through it."
Sauer notes exploitation can happen to any child but having conversations about the potential risks is vital in helping young people stay safe.