What Is Online Sexual Exploitation?
Online sexual exploitation is the actual or attempted abuse of someone in a position of vulnerability by using power or trust to manipulate that person for sexual purposes, monetary gain and/or influence, and it can happen to anyone through the use of internet and digital technology.
Online Sexual Exploitation has Increased
When someone manipulates you into doing sexual acts, such as sharing sexual photos or videos, even on social media platforms where content can disappear, like Snapchat, this is online sexual exploitation. It can also include doing sexual activities over video chat, which may involve someone asking you to perform acts while they watch or forcing you to watch them perform acts. With the rise of social media in the digital era, the rates of online sexual exploitation have increased.
Online sexual exploitation is a global problem, but there is a myth that people often think that it is not happening in Canada. In fact, Canada is not immune to human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In 2020, child luring online increased by 244 cases or 15% compared to the year before .
And 97% of victims of police-reported incidents of human trafficking in Canada are women or girls more than 1 in 5 are 17 years of age or younger and 74% of survivors are 25 or younger. Traffickers often target youth from vulnerable communities such as 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, Black and Indigenous, racialized communities, and newcomer and immigrant youth among others.