'Tip of the iceberg': Online luring numbers continue to rise
Safer Internet Day was marked Tuesday with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection warning parents to be aware of the dangers online.
Catherine Tabak, the program manager at Cybertip.ca, said the number of online luring incidents is alarming.
"In terms of the number of incidents that are being reported into our tip line, I think the most concerning part is that those are just situations that have escalated to a point where someone has reached out for help," said Tabak. "We really are only just seeing the tip of the iceberg in this space."
The number of luring reports has risen 815 per cent over the last five years, according to Canadian Centre for Child Protection. The centre said in 2018 there were 220 reports, spiking to 2,013 reports by the end of 2022.
Tabak said the pandemic saw a lot more kids accessing the internet.
"That could be used as a measure why those incidents have escalated. But also we're seeing incidents involving kids at a younger age," Tabak said.
"We know that they are getting access to those devices at younger ages, so it provides more opportunities and vulnerabilities for them to be targeted by offenders."
Tabak said online luring happens when anyone over the age of 18 uses a form of telecommunications to connect with a minor and sexually exploit them.
"In most of the cases (reported) to the tip line, we're seeing offenders looking to gain access to sexual imagery or pictures and videos of youth," Tabak said. "In some of the more extreme cases, we're certainly seeing where offenders are looking to sexually offend directly against children, so they are making plans to meet that child in person."
When asked how these numbers can be reversed, Tabek said the best way is for parents to maintain open communication with their kids and ensure they feel safe coming to them when something is wrong.
"On the flip side, I really do think we are in a position now where we need some of these platforms to be doing more to protect kids on their services. Part of that is really government coming in and doing some regulation in this space."
More tips and information for parents can be found online.
- With files from CTV News' Maralee Caruso
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.