The Children of the Street Society has grown from humble beginnings in Coquitlam into a province-wide campaign for education against the exploitation of children.
This year marks the 20 anniversary of the society and, to mark the occasion, the province has proclaimed March 9 to 15 Stop the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth Awareness Week. To kick off the week, Children of the Street is launching a 15-week video series aimed at educating parents on the topic of online sexual exploitation.
The series will feature police, community service professionals and society staff speaking about the benefits and dangers of children's use of technology. Each video is three to five minutes in length and will be available at www.childrenofthestreet.com/parentvideos.html.
"A lot has changed with the issue of sexual exploitation," Diane Sowden, the society's executive director, said in a press release.
"Our name... was reflective of the issue in 1995 but now almost every aspect of sexual exploitation has moved online," she said. "With this crime moving off street corners and behind closed doors, it has never been more important to focus on prevention rather than intervention."
The campaign encourages parents to talk to their kids about sexual exploitation. Information is available at www.childrenofthestreet.com or on Twitter at @ChildrenoftheSt.
