Keeping students safe online: Area schools host safety presentations

Two Stone County schools recently hosted valuable eye-opening presentations about the dangers lurking online as sex-trafficking predators target vulnerable youth. Russ Tuttle of the Stop Trafficking Project spoke to parents, school staff and other concerned adults at Reeds Spring on Monday evening, February 24, and Crane on Thursday evening, February 27, with corresponding age-appropriate student presentations at each school. 

Pathways Project Coalition of the Ozarks, which works to educate and raise awareness in Taney and Stone County, sponsored the presentations with funding assistance from Skaggs Foundation. Pathways Coalition also partners with other area agencies to locate and rescue victims and provide follow-up support.  

Tuttle opened his presentation to adults by stating the goals of the Stop Trafficking Project: To see that kids do not have to be rescued, do not have to participate in assault-follow-up physical exams, do not need trauma counseling, and do not become stuck in a lifetime of welfare and social services. His presentations are aimed at helping end DMST (Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking) before it starts, by making communities aware of kids’ vulnerabilities and thwarting people who attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities. 

The adult presentation combined statistics with personal testimonies of former victims, along with explanation of how the student presentation incorporates the information in an age-appropriate, even sometimes humorous, way. Tuttle emphasizes that the stereotypical image of the “creepy guy in a white van” is no longer the chief danger; rather, it’s the person watching on social media for any sign of vulnerability and then posing as an understanding friend or boyfriend to gain the youth’s trust. 

“In our increasingly sexualized culture, a young person’s sense of self-worth is often based on social media,” said Tuttle, “with depression due to comparison or cyberbullying.” He emphasized that he is not against technology, but that when you give a child a smartphone, you are exposing them to the whole world for possible exploitation unless due diligence is done and safeguards are in place. 

Several adults attending the Reeds Spring presentation seemed surprised and a little horrified at some ways pornography use or exploitation can creep in—for example, via unused profiles on streaming services, or by way of AI and virtual reality producing twisted, sexually suggestive cartoon characters that imitate familiar ones. Tuttle cited statistics showing that 41% of school-aged youth admit to viewing porn, some even using browser loopholes on school-issued devices. Other concerning instances include AI-generated fake parent calls or messages telling a child the parent has been detained and so-and-so will pick them up after school. There are even apps that “undress” a young person in a photo, with the result being used as blackmail, and the list goes on. 

If that sounds depressing, the good news is that there are ways to help combat the evil. Tuttle’s presentation includes practical steps for establishing household rules and monitoring phone use (“If you pay the bill, it’s your phone and you make the rules”), as well as safety apps. 

Another key emphasis for adults is that students who successfully escape the trap of trafficking or cyberbullying are, without exception, those who made the decision to confide in a trusted adult. This means that in addition to parent relationships, adults such as teachers, church youth directors, medical personnel, law enforcement, grandparents and others can make a huge difference by being informed and letting kids know they care.  

To schedule a presentation at a school, church, or civic group, reach out to pathwayspco@gmail.com. Learn more about this vital topic by following Pathways Project Coalition of the Ozarks on Facebook or visiting www.TheStopTraffickingProject.com.