The introduction of a new bill aims to provide additional education and training to parents in Arizona on how to prevent child sexual crimes and protect their children from online predators.
According to the Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family, the average age for a child to fall victim to sex trafficking in Arizona is 13 years old. January has been designated as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in our state by the United States Department of State and our legislature is looking at more ways to keep children safe.
With the increasing amount of time children spend on social media, predators have become increasingly adept at targeting and exploiting them. The rise of child sex trafficking and internet crimes against children is a concerning issue, leading state legislators to propose a new bill this week that aims to inform parents about the potential dangers.
According to Representative Julie Willoughby, a Republican from Chandler, the inspiration for this legislation stemmed from worries expressed by parents and local law enforcement agencies. They have conveyed to her that there is a pressing demand for easily available resources on internet safety for kids. Willoughby stated, “We are aware that children are often more adept at using electronics and technology than their parents, so they have been consistently requesting such information from the police department. Unfortunately, the police lack an effective approach to disseminate it.”
A mother of two has collaborated with Arizona law enforcement agencies that deal with Internet crimes against children through Internet Crimes Against Children units in order to tackle the problem. The proposed legislation would establish cost-free online training courses that can be accessed through the Department of Education’s website. According to Representative Willoughby, the aim is to avoid using outdated videos that are irrelevant and often ignored, where viewers simply click and move on.
According to the bill, parents of students in grades four through eight must attend the course every year while their child is enrolled. However, Rep. Willoughby has stated her intention to modify the bill to make the training optional.
Phoenix’s Republican Representative, Matt Gress, is among those who have co-sponsored the bill. Rep. Gress stated that parents have effectively safeguarded their children from physical harm in the real world, but are facing challenges in controlling their access to the virtual world. He explained that this is the main objective of the proposed bill.
It will take a considerable amount of time before a similar measure could possibly be enacted as a law in Arizona. The subsequent stage will involve a hearing in the House Education Committee, which has not yet been arranged.
According to Representatives Willoughby and Gress, the objective is to regularly revise the training to address current issues. They also mentioned the possibility of cyberbullying as a topic that may require additional resources for parents to ensure the safety of their children.
