VICTORY! Snapchat Makes Numerous Safety Changes in Response to Dirty Dozen List

Snapchat, an app which parents and child safety experts have consistently named as one of the most dangerous, has made numerous substantial safety changes as a direct result of being named to the 2023 Dirty Dozen List! 

The changes announced by Snapchat include improving detection and moderation for sexually explicit and exploitative content, defaulting content controls for new minor-aged accounts joining Family Center, increasing parent’s visibility into their child’s activity through Family Center, and creating dedicated resources on sexual abuse and exploitation. 

In a public statement, Snapchat thanked NCOSE for influencing these improvements, stating: 

“Several of our new product safeguards were informed by feedback from The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE). Our new in-app educational resources were developed with The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). We are grateful for their recommendations and contributions.” 

But this isn’t just NCOSE’s win—YOU made this happen by signing our actions and participating in the Dirty Dozen List campaigns every year!  

The impact of this victory is truly astronomical. Snapchat is immensely popular among youth, with 90% of 13–24 year olds in 20+ countries using the app. 

Thanks to you raising your voice and taking action, all of these children and youth will be much better protected! 

Read more.

📣 ACTION: Thank Snapchat for Improving Safety on their Platform!

Child on Child Harmful Sexual Behavior at Schools

Schools are supposed to be safe environments for children and the community to come together to pursue education and character development. However, there is a very dark secret taking place in K-12 schools today. 

Child-on-child harmful sexual behavior is a horrific, increasingly prevalent problem in our nation’s primary schools. According to a study done by AP, the sexual violence that occurred in schools was often mischaracterized as bullying, hazing or consensual behavior. It happened anywhere students were left unsupervised: buses, bathrooms, hallways and locker rooms. No type of school was immune, whether it be in an upper-class suburb, an inner-city neighborhood or a blue-collar farm town. The abuses ranged from rape and sodomy to forced oral sex and fondling. 

According to the study, for every adult-on-child sexual attack reported on school property, there were seven assaults by students. 

Learn more about child-on-child harmful sexual behavior by downloading our research summary here.

Early Bird Price for Hope on the Hill Ends Soon!

Only one week left to get an early bird discount for Hope on the Hill tickets! 

You won't want to miss this opportunity to make your voice heard on Capitol Hill AND celebrate with us at our Radiating Hope Gala. 

Get your early bird tickets today. 

Our Messages In The News

To eradicate sexual exploitation, we need to shine a light on its darkness and expose it to the world's scrutiny. Too often, these topics don't get the attention they deserve, but together we are pushing them to the front page! Check out some recent coverage of NCOSE's issues in the news:

► New York Times: Ban Online Porn for Kids 

Calls for age verification for access to online pornography, to prevent children from being exposed: "Our nation has long placed legal age limits on access to sexually explicit content offline, in the real world. That content is not magically rendered more benign simply because the images are viewed on a phone or laptop." 

► Forbes: Inside Apple's Impossible War on Sexual Exploitation 

Discusses Apple's failure to report and combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM, the more apt term for "child pornography") on iPhone and iCloud. 

► The Free Press: I had a Helicopter Mom. I Found Pornhub Anyway.

A powerful opinion piece from a teenage girl, detailing how easy it is for children to stumble on hardcore pornography online and arguing in favor of solutions like age verification.

You can stay up-to-date on breaking news with NCOSE by following us on social media! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. Thank you for helping make these issues headline news!

Sincerely,

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