Children At Risk hosts annual summit: 'Protecting Children in the Digital Age'

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Children At Risk, a 501 non-profit organization, held its annual Anti-Human Trafficking Summit Thursday with an emphasis on protecting children in the digital age.

The summit focused on the prevention of exploitation and trafficking of children in the digital age. A panel of supporters met online Thursday morning to go into detail on what parents, educators and the everyday citizen can do to prevent online solicitation of minors.

"As online platforms become increasingly integral to daily life, they also present new avenues for exploitation," a release for the summit reads. "Just four years ago, in 2021, The National Human Trafficking Hotline estimated that 65% of all survivors were groomed and recruited in an online space like social media."

The title of this year's summit was "Protecting Children in the Digital Age: Solutions for Preventing Exploitation & Trafficking."

Those who joined the discussion heard from experts in child safety, law enforcement, and policy sectors.

In an effort to combat the rapid increase of technology at the fingertips of children and predators, Children At Risk held discussions on the role of social media exploitation and how generative AI and other emerging technologies are playing a role in this crisis.

"Children are using devices at younger and younger ages, and the digital threats they face only continue to grow," said Dr. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK. "Conversations like these are essential for developing the strategies and tools we need to shield our youth from these growing digital dangers."