From Alison Church, Staff Sergeant with ALERT’s Northern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation (NAICE) Unit
For today’s parents, talking about online safety is simply part of raising kids. Technology is woven into children’s friendships, schoolwork, entertainment and everyday lives, which means conversations about how to navigate the online world need to be part of growing up, too.
As a parent and Staff Sergeant in charge of ALERT’s Northern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation (NAICE) Unit, I’ve learned that one of the most important things we can give children is the confidence to come to us when something doesn’t feel right. Protecting children online starts with education, awareness and an ongoing conversation in our communities.
Why I Chose This Work
I was 19 when I first realized I wanted to become a police officer. I was driving home with my mom one day when we saw a four-year-old girl walking along the highway alone. We stopped to make sure she was okay, and she ended up staying with my family while the RCMP worked to figure out where she had come from and what had happened.
While she was with us, she made a disclosure to me. I remember thinking how important it was that she felt safe and comfortable enough with me to tell me what had happened. That experience made me realize I could bring my compassion and ability to connect with children to policing.
I went on to become a police officer, and later was seconded to the Child At Risk Response Unit (CARRT) to alleviate staffing shortages, before moving into a child protection unit, where I gained experience interviewing children. I later worked in a trafficking unit, which opened my eyes to the realities of exploitation happening in Alberta. Eventually, I moved into the internet child exploitation unit, which felt like a natural progression for my career and experience.
It’s Not Just “Stranger Danger”
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear, particularly as a parent, is that children are only at risk from strangers online. The reality is that online exploitation can involve someone a child knows and trusts, including friends or people within their broader circle.
Another misconception is that online exploitation always involves a long, elaborate process of manipulation or grooming. Sometimes it happens incredibly quickly. In some cases, we have seen an offender make contact with a child and exploit them within an hour. That means there may not always be obvious warning signs for a parent to spot, but that’s not to say there is nothing parents can do.
Start Conversations Early, and Continue Them
Because these situations can move so quickly, one of the most important things parents can do is start talking to their children from a young age, and keep those conversations going as they grow.
It’s an evolving conversation: what you talk about with a young child will be different from what you discuss with a pre-teen, and those conversations should continue into the late teens and early 20s as young people become more independent.
Most importantly, the message with online safety should not be, “You should never do that.” Instead, it should be, “If something happens, you can come to me.” Children need to know they will be listened to and supported, even if they have made a mistake. Creating that trust before something happens can make all the difference when a child needs help.
Protecting Children Takes All of Us
The internet does not have borders, and neither does this work. Our investigators work with law enforcement agencies around the world, including partners in the United States and Europe, because oftentimes an offender can be in one country while a victim is in another.
At the same time, protecting children requires work right here in Alberta. Our unit has a community engagement team that works with schools, community organizations, government and other partners to support education and awareness around online child exploitation. By doing this work, we have the opportunity to prevent harm by giving parents, educators and communities the knowledge and tools to have these conversations with children.
Our work will always include investigating internet child exploitation offences and pursuing those responsible, but prevention matters too. Every conversation that helps a child recognize something isn’t right, every parent who knows how to respond and every young person who knows they can ask for help is another step toward keeping children safer online.
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The Link Between Internet Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking
Child sexual abuse and exploitation material (CSAEM) and human trafficking are distinct forms of exploitation, but both can be facilitated by technology and both require awareness, education and prevention. Understanding how exploitation can happen online is an important part of creating safer communities and protecting children and young people.
That’s why #NotInMyCity is committed to helping Canadians recognize the signs of exploitation, understand the role technology can play and know how they can take action. Take #NotInMyCity’s free e-learning course to build your understanding of what human trafficking and exploitation can look like in Canada.
Parents are also encouraged to visit #NotInMyCity’s YouTube channel to learn more about how they can start the conversation around healthy connections and online safety.
