Oct 30, 20203 min read

COVID-19 Exposes Children to Online Predators

Updated: Dec. 13, 2020

Los Angeles, CA - Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has left children increasingly vulnerable to online predators. Children are spending more unsupervised time on the internet since transitioning to online learning. Teachers and parents are doing what they can to cope with the obstacles of online learning, while experts stress the importance of awareness.

Photo by Andrea Esparza

Law Enforcement began to see an increase in child exploitation cases after the mandatory lockdowns. The Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Unit logged over 1,500 cases since April.

Expert and educators are trying their best to spread awareness to parents. USC Digital Education expert Stephen Aguilar says the increase of digital exploitation is due to children spending more time online.

"Children are in a position they wouldn't normally be in. Children are spending more time on digital technology. If that's where kids are hanging out then, that's where predators are going to go. It is not so much physical playgrounds, and more it's also digital playgrounds," said Aguilar.

Experts say the COVID-19 lockdowns have left children in a vulnerable position. Children are undergoing both physical and emotional changes they have never experienced before. This sense of estrangement results in children looking for friends online.

Internet Safety Expert Alicia Kozakiewicz said in a Los Angles Times article that predators are thriving in this environment.

"Right now, children have no other social outlet, and they are experiencing a wide range of emotions. What a predator does is they search for those vulnerabilities, they find them, and then they exploit them,” said Kozakiewicz.

Predators are lurking on social media sites tricking children into sending explicit photos, which are then used as blackmail to keep children silent. Predators' tactics continue to evolve.

The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children has noticed a change in predators' tactics. The centers head of the exploited children division John Shehan said predators are less intrigued by the physical encounter and are more interested in digital encounters.

The noticeable increase in child exploitation has parents worried. A working mother of three, Teresa Reyes acknowledges the issue of digital exploitation, but as a working mother, she finds it difficult to monitor her children's use of the internet.

"I work both day and night shifts at the hospital, and even though my husband works from home, he works on the other side of the house. We can't have our eyes on them during their zoom classes or while they are on their iPads," said Reyes.

Reyes wished school officials were more open about the situation. She said educators could make more of an effort to spread awareness.

"I wish school would make more of an effort, I have received an email once, but I feel like emails are easily lost and overlooked. They could reach out to us a little bit more. They could have a conference or send out a flyer," said Reyes.

School administrators are working to advise parents through these difficult times. Jesus Marron principal of over 15 years said educators are trying their best to overcome the obstacles of digital learning.

"It is a struggle, but we are trying our best to keep parents in the loop. It is a learning process for sure as a parent myself. I truly understand the parents' concerns. The number one thing to me is communicating with our kids, making them aware of the things that could happen to them," said Marron.

Children will continue to learn digitally until the end of the pandemic. Experts and educators encourage parents to monitor their child's use of the internet and to have a discussion about online predators.