Wilmington University offers free Human Trafficking, Sextortion and Social Media presentation Jan. 23 in Dover

The modern-day slavery of human trafficking is a global problem that strikes alarmingly close to home as predators use social media to lure young teenagers into prostitution.

Parents, teachers, school counselors, school nurses, healthcare providers, clergy members, educators and anyone involved with children and teens are invited to educate themselves about the risks and responses to this growing problem at the free Human Trafficking, Sextortion and Social Media presentation Monday, Jan. 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Wilmington University – Dover, 3282 N. DuPont Highway, in the Building A auditorium. The presentation is sponsored by the Wilmington University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Preregistration is requested.

Guest speakers Patty Dailey-Lewis, executive director of the Beau Biden Foundation, and Delaware Family Court Commissioner Loretta Young will discuss how participation in social media can too easily expose children to the threat of human trafficking, and how the justice system is addressing sex offenders on the internet.

Faculty members from the Wilmington University College of Health Professions will share tips on recognizing the sometimes-overlooked signs that a child is being trafficked. Criminal justice program faculty will also review how law enforcement authorities are taking action against child sex trafficking and sextortion through social media.

"Human trafficking occurs locally," said Dr. Johanna P. Bishop, director of behavioral science programs at the university. "Several cases of trafficking have been discovered in Delaware in recent months. Our presentations will focus on explaining to parents and others the risks that social media pose, and how easy it is for perpetrators to track, attract and lure potential victims."

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking "involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act; or, commercial sex involving a person under 18 years of age." A Justice Department study found that more than 40 percent of the human trafficking incidents investigated in the U.S. between 2008 and 2010 involved child sex offenses.

"Children who have been raised in broken homes or foster care, who have run away, or who are otherwise disenfranchised are at particular risk of trafficking," Bishop added. "Anytime a child does not have a strong family foundation, or lacks a good relationship with her parents, has parents who are disinterested in his or her life, and if he or she spends a great deal of time on social media, he or she is at risk."

For more information about Human Trafficking, Sextortion and Social Media, contact Bishop at johanna.p.bishop@wilmu.edu.