Last month, I had the opportunity to attend PAX East and I got to sit in on one of the show’s many panels. One such panel I visited was called “Boss Level Threat: Child Exploitation Trends in Online Gaming”.
The panel was headed by two individuals Teresa Jauregui, an attorney with The Joel Bieber Firm, and Elliot Jerge, the Director of Operations for ClickSafe Intelligence. In recent years, the world has grown increasingly concerned about online spaces and the risk they might post to children. While predators have used social media and chatrooms for decades, there’s been a recent pivot to gaming spaces which has made them particularly vulnerable.
The Pivot to Gaming
Thankfully, there are individuals out there who trawl online communities where CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) is distributed and discussed and use the information gleaned there to inform law enforcement and better protect our youth.
A troubling trend has emerged within the last five years. While social media like Snapchat is still the preeminent resource for predators to contact children, mentions of gaming and gaming communities has exploded.
During one study, researchers pretended to be young children on Roblox. Within 48 hours a predator had initiated contact with one of the researchers.
However it’s not just Roblox. Other popular games mentioned in online communities around CSAM are:
- League of Legends
- Minecraft
- Call of Duty
- Roblox
- Fortnite
- Among Us
- VR Chat
These games are popular among a wide range of age groups, and predators are already sharing tips on how to ingratiate themselves in these communities. But sexual predators aren’t the only ones using games to harm children.
Nihilistic Violent Extremist Groups
This trend towards could be exacerbated by the fact that young members of Nihilistic Violent Extremist groups (NVEs) are also contributing to the exploitation of children.
NVEs are antisocial groups, almost like a form of domestic terrorist who rally around ideologies and philosophies that celebrate harming others.
These groups don’t just encourage children to create CSAM, but also to do things like hurt themselves for no other reason than to cause them harm. NVEs have been doing this for years and frequently prey on children in “SHED” (Self-Harm and Eating Disorder) communities. Learn this acronym because you probably see it a lot on social media.
Artificial Intelligence, Real Harm
Recent advances in technology have enabled both NVEs and child predators to cause more harm. In particular, Artificial Intelligence allows both groups to create Deep Fakes of children in compromising situations.
While the images may be fake, the harm they cause can lead to real consequences. NVEs will use AI to create embarrassing images of children and use them to blackmail their victims into performing self-harm.
At least 60 children have died of suicide as a result of “AI Sextortion” and members of the LGBTQIA community are particularly vulnerable, especially if they don’t have a familial support network.
What Can I Do?
For anyone reading this with children, young relatives, or maybe even work with children, you should learn the signs of abuse.
You should also learn your children’s baseline demeanor. For example some parents may think it’s hard to tell when they’re child withdraws if they’re already shy. So it’s important to watch for signs from a relativistic standpoint. Has your shy child suddenly become more emotionally volatile? Is your outgoing child suddenly withdrawn? Maybe they quit going to clubs or hanging out? While this list isn’t all-encompassing here are some red flags to watch out for:
- Withdrawing from usual social activities
- Becoming anxious or fearful
- Heightened emotions
- Pulling away from peers or groups
- Increase in illness or absence from school
- Evidence of self-harm
- New online love interests or friends
- Harm to siblings or pets
- Sudden influx of money or possessions
This last one is particularly relevant in gaming spaces. If your child suddenly has new cosmetics on Roblox and you’re not paying for Robux, ask them where it’s coming from. Learn the games your child regularly engages with so you can better recognize when something seems off.
A BIG red flag is your child leaving a not saying they’ve run away but they leave behind their phone and devices after wiping them. Predators know that law enforcement may not act as urgently with a runaway as they would a kidnapping, and predators will instruct their victims to do this to avoid detection for as long as possible.
Final Thoughts
PAX has done well to give panels like this space, and even hosted a table all weekend for ClickSafe Intelligence. These problems aren’t going away and it’s up to us as a society to educate ourselves and do whatever we can to protect our children.
You can find more resources at ClickSafe Intelligence here.
