The Sinister Side of Social Media: A Predators Play Ground
For any parent, the safety and protection of their child is imperative. It is unlikely to see a young child walking the streets or running around a playground alone. Chillingly, despite parents providing an extra vigilant eye to protect them from the dangers outside, it is now easier than ever for child abusers and groomers to communicate with young children inside the safety of their own homes. The NSPCC reports that 50% of 12-year old’s have a social media profile and 83% of 12–15-year old’s have a smart phone. Mobile phones have made communicating online not only simple but its portability means access is available anytime and anywhere. Often groomers will attempt to make an emotional connection with a child by buying them gifts or using flattery in order to manipulate them for sexual purposes. Children as young as three are thought to be at risk and reports show that even four-year-old children have been encouraged by groomers to post sexual photographs online. Moreover, a groomer’s use of fake profiles or manipulation of innocent acts to have a sexually implied message makes sexual abuse online increasingly harder to identify.
For any parents reading this, such statistics are overwhelming and alarming. Changes in the law have now made it possible for police forces to investigate crimes of sexual communication instead of only being able to provide support and action when the predator meets a victim in person. On the 3rd of April 2016 it was made an offence to send sexual messages to a child. Within the first 6 months of a this law being enforced 1,316 offences were recorded across the U.K and Wales. Despite this being another pessimistic and sickening thought, it is important it is spoken about to highlight the dangers and high frequency of online abuse to not only parents and children but to the social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. These sites have a duty of care and responsibility to ensure all of its users are safe online. Pressures are amounting on social media companies to crack down on groomers using similar tactics and resources that are used to obstruct extremism and questions are being raised as to why such measures are not already being taken out to protect young users from harmful content. The use of artificial intelligence and algorithms are potential ways of flagging up abusive and sexual content that is harmful to children. Additionally, the development of ‘grooming’ alerts has potential to provide children with warning if inappropriate material has been recognised on social media platforms.
Social Media companies have an overwhelming amount of influence over these significant issues and with the introduction of new anti-grooming policies children would be able to use social media in an increasingly securer and safer environment. If such problems can be contained by these minimal changes, it poses the questions, why isn’t every same effort being made to protect young children from horrific and devastating suffering? Reports suggest social media sites are concerned that new introduced anti grooming policies will have overlooked loopholes and as a result companies will face even greater criticism and backlash. Such reasoning lacks substance and is extremely feeble considering the seriousness and increasing prevalence of this issue and most importantly the detrimental effect such traumatic events can have on a young person’s life.
Until Social Media companies succumb to the pressure that they are under to deliver on some of these valid policies, it is the parents who will need to recognise changes in behaviour that could indicate groomers targeting their children. The NSPCC website states that being secretive about their online activity, having unexplained new gifts, changes in behaviour such as being aggressive or depressed and going to different places to meet friends are all potential signs that children are being targeted online by groomers.
The education of children is another key way of preventing children from being targeted by online groomers. Explaining to young children the dishonesty of some social media users and that communicating online should only be restricted to people known in the real world can help deter children from replying to advances from an unknown figures.
Although this article has a sombre tone, it is imperative that this message is reiterated to create an awareness around this persisting and significant problem and to encourage social media sites to enforce strict regulations that allow children to browse online safely.
With thanks to Tracy Enright and Justine Salles
