Media Presentation Project SU 2022 by Tyler Folds

Media Presentation Project SU 2022 by Tyler Folds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y College of Social Work, The Ohio State University en-us 2022-07-11 01:07:00 UTC 2025-05-16 18:13:25 UTC hello@padlet.com Start Here. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240613501 Did you know that 40% of sex trafficking victims are recruited online? The internet is a vast place where so much can happen without anyone noticing. As technology advances, so do the tactics and tools used to groom, coerce, and exploit minors. This media project examines online gaming, specifically the children's game Roblox, and how it contributes to the child sex trafficking issue in the United States.

Every piece of information connects to the bigger issue of online grooming and the prevalence of online child sexual exploitation. ]]> 2022-07-11 01:15:07 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240613501 The Dark Side of a Children's Game. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240626370 CONDO GAME (noun): A Roblox term referring to a game that is manipulated to allow players to simulate sexual behavior, bypass chat filters, exchange personal information, and operate using other banned game content like the use of alcohol, drugs, adult toys, etc.

Condo Games are the dark side of Roblox. They are created to break the rules and allow people the freedom to do and say whatever they want. Scary, right? What started as a children's game has become a conduit for online sex trafficking. BBC News investigated the game and reported findings that even with Roblox's security settings in place, it was not hard to find seemingly child-protected game rooms with crude and sexual chat language. This begs the questions whether enough is being done to protect minors from adult content.

The likelihood for commercial exploitation increases with Roblox's in-game currency that can be transferred into real U.S. dollars. Players can sell and exchange items with each other, and make money from the games they create. In an interview by Fast Company, an underage player explained how easy it is to anonymously buy Condo Game codes from programmers selling them. These codes can help people. instantly create new condo-themed servers that can also be programmed to generate Roblox revenue.

It is also alarming that people are able to exchange information in these rooms. This provides ways to move communication onto other platforms where sexual exploitation of the child is easier for the trafficker. Photos and videos can be exchanged more easily on other sites like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. Roblox is only the beginning.]]> 2022-07-11 01:32:43 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240626370 It Gets Real. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240633012 A 13-year-old girl from Topeka, Kansas was rescued February 24, 2022 from a man that she met while playing Roblox. The 33-year-old man convinced the girl to leave her home, and he drove her 900 miles to Georgia. After several days, the girl contacted her mom and authorities arrested the man on counts of kidnapping, rape, and sex trafficking.

https://www.thegamer.com/13-year-old-girl-rescued-from-33-year-old-man-she-met-playing-roblox/]]> 2022-07-11 01:41:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240633012 Roblox. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240649897
^ Click the link to view the article.

Roblox is a multi-platform, roleplaying game that was originally created for kids ages 9-13. As of 2020, there are 230 million registered players and 43 million daily players world-wide. According to the National Center of Sexual Exploitation, kids under 13 play an average of 50 million hours a month (2018).

People are able to create an avatar that can explore worlds, play games, and chat with other players. People can also program their own games and build content with other people. As a game designed to cater to every imagination, there are many sides to its content.

Roblox claims that their programmers actively monitor content 24 hours a day, as well as filter the chats to ensure interactions stay safe and appropriate. There are also protections available to reinforce safety and security for younger players, however it is possible that people are able to code content that bypasses Roblox's settings.

A veteran player said in an interview that Roblox taught them how to code, but it also taught them how to hack programs. Roblox gave them the freedom to code in tons of new ways, which is the purpose of the game. However, some people have turned this freedom into an opportunity for modern slavery.

For social workers, it's important to note that "opportunity" is one of the factors considered when sex traffickers choose their victims. On Roblox, there is a lot of opportunity to make contact with children because most players are under 18. Opportunity expands when a chat function is introduced, and even more when that function can be hacked and changed to avoid Roblox's security settings. ]]> 2022-07-11 02:04:25 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240649897 tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240702197 2022-07-11 03:06:39 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240702197 Not So Fun Facts. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240720863 - In a study on 31 sexual offenders, it was found that the offenders chose their victims based on the perceived neediness of a child, whether they stated their age in their profile, young-sounding usernames, and the presence of sexual content on the child's profile.

- The average age of perpetrator is 38.6 years

- Majority of offenders and victims exchange pictures on the first day

- In a study done on conversation characteristics between decoy victims and potential online offenders, 89% of the offenders introduced sexual content in the first conversation. In 69% of the conversations, sexual content was introduced within the first 30 minutes. It took offenders an average of 3 days to mention meeting in person.

_{Georgia M. Winters, Leah E. Kaylor & Elizabeth L. Jeglic (2017) Sexual offenders contacting children online: an examination of transcripts of sexual grooming, Journal of Sexual Aggression, 23:1, 62-76, DOI:}_{10.1080/13552600.2016.1271146}]]> 2022-07-11 03:35:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240720863 It Gets Real. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240736542
While communicating on Roblox, a 31-year-old man coerced a 14-year-old girl to film herself engaging in sexual conduct with the intent of viewing and transferring the media material. The situation went further when he picked the girl up from her home and kept her at his house, breaking her phone to avoid police. Investigators were able to recover the girl after tracking their conversations through Roblox and Facebook.

https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/prosecutors-Wisconsin-man-used-Roblox-game-to--505330101.html]]> 2022-07-11 04:00:20 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240736542 Vulnerable Populations. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240758648 In the era of COVID and increased online interaction, the recruitment of minors has increased 125% on Facebook and 95% on Instagram.

Most offenders target 15 to 19-year-olds (Polaris Project, 2022).

Girls with disabilities are more likely to be victims of sex trafficking than their peers, according to a study done by the International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare (Franchino-Olsen, 2020).

Children of color are disproportionately vulnerable to becoming victims of sex trafficking. Research analyzes that this is because of the historical connections to past exploitation, objectification, and sexualization of ethnic communities (Inloes, 2022).

Children are more likely to be victims of sex trafficking if they have been abused, have low economic status, are in an unstable living situation, have trauma, or live in families struggling with addiction (Polaris Project, 2022).

^{Franchino-Olsen, H., Silverstein, H. A., Kahn, N. F., & Martin, S. L. (2020). Minor sex trafficking of girls with disabilities.}^{International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare}^,¹³^{(2), 97–108. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhrh-07-2019-0055}
^{Inloes, Kaylee, "Behind Closed Doors" (2022).}^{University Honors Theses.}^{Paper 1253.
Polaris Project. (2022, January 13).}^{Analysis of 2020 national human trafficking hotline data}^{. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://polarisproject.org/2020-us-national-human-trafficking-hotline-statistics/
Polaris Project. (2022, January 13).}^{Child Sex Trafficking.}^{https://polarisproject.org/child-sex-trafficking/}]]> 2022-07-11 04:37:49 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240758648 tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240777484 2022-07-11 05:05:49 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240777484 Micro Support. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240780458 According to a study done by the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, less than half of the providers they surveyed knew warning signs of sex trafficking, and even less knew the difference between child abuse and child sex trafficking. Most claim to have never been trained.

"Social workers should be careful not to assume that treating youth sex trafficking victims is the same as treating child abuse victims," said Christina Reardon of Social Work Today.

Education is essential. As mandated reporters, social workers have a responsibility to be able to identify whether their clients are victims in any regard. Workers should also understand the complex and unique needs of trafficking victims they support, as well as the laws and resources available to help and protect them.

Reardon also pointed out that motivational interviewing and walking victims through the change process in non-judgmental ways will be most helpful for building a trusting relationship with child victims who may be resistant to seeking services or leaving the sex trafficking lifestyle. It will be especially important to build a trusting relationship with a child who is being trafficked online because of the behind-the-scenes nature of the issue.

https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/032216p10.shtml]]> 2022-07-11 05:10:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240780458 Macro Support. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240782124 According to ChildFund, most legislative efforts in the online sexual exploitation and the abuse of children are geared toward enforcement and the response to perpetrators.

Social workers and other roles within the multidisciplinary system that supports victims have the opportunity to engage in more macro-level advocacy for preventative community action and victim services.

Here are other bills involved in the OSEAC advocacy process.

Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 and The EARN IT Act: Both of these amendments focus on ensuring that the websites that promote or facilitate child sex trafficking are not lawfully protected and can be held liable in their role in the exploitation and abuse of children (Baker, 2018).

END Child Exploitation Act: This amendment aims to improve law enforcement's response to child exploitation online by increasing the number of days electronic communication service providers are required to keep content that is reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline. Due to the significant increase in child exploitation cases in the last few years, law enforcement are having a harder time investigating cases within the current 90-day window and want to expand the requirement to 180 days (ChildFund, 2021).

^{Baker, C. (2018).}^{Solving Child Sex Trafficking Requires Addressing the Conditions of Vulnerability.}^{The Gender Policy Report. Retrieved from https://genderpolicyreport.umn.edu/solving-child-sex-trafficking-requires-addressing-the-conditions-of-vulnerability/
ChildFund. (2021).}^{Protecting children online through policy:}

^{Online sexual exploitation and abuse of children policy mapping report.}^{Retrieved from https://www.childfund.org/uploadedFiles/NewCF/Impact/Knowledge_Center/ChildFund-Mapping-Project-Report-OSEAC.pdf}

]]> 2022-07-11 05:12:44 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240782124 The New Anti-Grooming Tool tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240794900 Microsoft is collaborating with Roblox, Thorn, Kim, and The Meet Group to create the newest technology, Project Artemis, to fight online child sex trafficking and sexual abuse.

This new anti-grooming tool works by evaluating and rating patterns of communication and the probability that someone has the intent to groom another person. These chats are flagged and sent to human moderators who can identify imminent threats for law enforcement, or notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children with suspicions of child sexual exploitation (Microsoft, 2020).

Other software such as PhotoDNA is being used by hundreds of companies around the world to identify child sexual exploitation photos. Companies like Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse, continue to generate new programs.

Technology companies with a chat function who are seeking to protect children on their platforms can apply for use of Project Artemis cost-free. Law enforcement and non-governmental organizations are also eligible to apply (Thorn, 2020).

^{Microsoft. (2020).}^{Microsoft shares new technique to address online grooming of children for sexual purposes.}^{Retrieved from https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/01/09/artemis-online-grooming-detection/
Thorn. (2020).}^{Meet the new anti-grooming tool from Microsoft, Thorn, and our partners.}^{Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/blog/what-is-project-artemis-thorn-microsoft-grooming/}]]> 2022-07-11 05:34:33 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2240794900 See For Yourself. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241113786 2022-07-11 15:13:46 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241113786 See For Yourself. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241116830 2022-07-11 15:18:08 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241116830 tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241186487 https://connect.missingkids.org

Click this link to be educated more on how to identify child sex trafficking and what you can do to raise awareness. There are webinar trainings, tips, resources, and statistics available to anyone who is interested in learning.

^{ChildFund. (2021).}^{Protecting children online through policy:}

]]> 2022-07-11 17:43:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241186487 See For Yourself. tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241189215 2022-07-11 17:49:47 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241189215 tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241214109 ^{ChildFund. (2021).}^{Protecting children online through policy:}

]]> 2022-07-11 18:50:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241214109 tylerfolds https://padlet.com/tylerfolds/wkdhybelgqkghr2y/wish/2241215542 ^{ChildFund. (2021).}^{Protecting children online through policy:}

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