A lot of important research insights and guidance on the forms and impact of CSE online have been published by researchers on both sides of the Atlantic recently. Here are some key findings pulled together in one place with links to academic sources and resources for better prevention education.... "Stranger danger" is just as problematic and misleading a term now as sociologists found it to be … [Read more...] about New clarity on child sexual exploitation online
Game-changer: Child rights-by-design
Even though the United States is the only country on the planet that hasn't ratified the nearly 34-year-old UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, US-based companies that serve kids and teens around the world no longer have any excuse not to uphold their rights. Why is that the case? Not "only" because young people's lives are now "digital by default," as psychology professor Sonia … [Read more...] about Game-changer: Child rights-by-design
Why I struggle mightily with the new Utah law
Apologies. I am late in writing about this just-passed social media legislation in the state where I live, Utah (have to say my home state is Massachusetts). I'm late partly because I've been in denial. I can't believe that laws so disrespectful of teens' rights of privacy and participation could go on the books. And I can't believe that lawmakers of my generation – some of whom are loving … [Read more...] about Why I struggle mightily with the new Utah law
A solution for ‘awful but lawful’
The youth market researchers at Ypulse just reported that 83% of millennial parents agreed with their survey statement that "social media platforms should do more to police and prevent cyberbullying." Their concerns are certainly justified, because cyberbullying is "awful but lawful" – not generally a kind of online harm that law enforcement can address. But is it worse than the offline version … [Read more...] about A solution for ‘awful but lawful’
New global service for getting nudes off the Internet
Finally there's hope – more than hope, actually – for young people who need to get nudes taken down from the Internet. They can go to the just-launched site TakeItDown.org, run by NCMEC (the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) and funded by Meta. It's a free service young people anywhere in the world can use anonymously to get help in deleting nude, partially nude, or sexually … [Read more...] about New global service for getting nudes off the Internet