When we came to work on this issue, we made a choice that we would be willing to have difficult conversations and make hard choices. We knew how difficult this topic would be.

But if you’re like millions of people across the country, you did not make that choice when you encountered one of the many recent viral stories involving child sex trafficking (CST) or other forms of child sexual exploitation (CSE).

CSE is one of the most evocative issues you can encounter, kicking our protective instincts into high gear and, in many cases, prompting a flight-or-flight reaction. 

And as our co-founder has said, once you know about this issue, you can’t un-know it.

In this blog we’ll be regularly providing new resources that delve into the issue in digestible, easy-to-understand ways that clearly show the reality around CST and the broader issue of CSE. By equipping yourself with this knowledge, you can become an ally and advocate for the children we serve, and take that with you into your social circles and communities.

One loud voice can make some noise, but with millions of individual voices we can change the world and end the sexual exploitation of children on the internet.

Join us in encouraging advocates of child safety to #KnowWhatYouShare.

•Other organizations to follow

We occupy just one part of a broad ecosystem addressing this issue. Our expertise lies at the intersection of child sexual abuse and technology. But there are many other organizations doing incredible work in this space.

If you want to learn more, or if you come across a viral story regarding CST and want to see what the experts have to say, be sure to follow these organizations:

•Blog: Decoding the language of child sexual exploitation

If you’ve been following Thorn lately, you’ve seen a lot of acronyms. Understanding how to talk about these issues helps you to become a better advocate for children. Here’s what you need to know.

•Infographic: How you can help

Here are some ways you can help to defend children from sexual exploitation.

•NEW: These are the tools traffickers use

White vans and kidnapping are very unlikely. But these tools we know traffickers use to coerce minors into sex trafficking. 

•CST is not a conspiracy, it’s an epidemic

Learn some of the truths about CST that you won’t see on TV by downloading this infographic. 

•CST facts that will help you make a difference

This blog highlights realities of CST that will empower you with the knowledge to make a difference for these children.

•How to defend kids from sex trafficking

Here are some ways you can help to defend kids from CST.

•5 things you may not have known about CST

Some of the things we don’t hear very often about this issue.

•Blog: The communities most vulnerable to CST

Addressing child sex trafficking takes a very particular set of skills. However, depictions in films like Taken don’t hold up when we start talking about what sex trafficking actually looks like.

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Keep checking back for more resources.

 

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