ONECHILD X META LAUNCH NATIONAL YOUTH-LED AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY, FEB. 22

Created by kids for kids, the #Beh1ndTheScr3ens awareness campaign features prevention educational videos for schools and Meta's social media platforms

TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - OneChild Network & Support Inc. and Meta (formerly Facebook), announced today a partnership focused on building safer online communities for children. Through the partnership, OneChild will launch a youth-led anti-sex trafficking awareness campaign called #Beh1ndTheScr3ens, developed by OneChild's Youth Advisory Squad (YAS) and in collaboration with Meta, survivors of sex trafficking and cyber safety experts to help children recognize and report potential trafficking cases. Running now until National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, February 22, the campaign will feature four prevention educational videos shared across Meta's social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and in Ontario schools.

The prevention educational videos are scripted by OneChild's YAS members aged 14-17 that serve as the organization's youth ambassadors and advisors. The videos depict real-world examples of how sex traffickers and sextortionists lure and groom children online and offline. Bundled with the videos is information on how children and youth can protect themselves by reporting suspected cases to the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline and Cybertip.ca, as well as in apps, including Meta's blocking and reporting safety tools and features. More on these resources can be found here: https://www.onechild.ca/beh1nd-the-scr3ens-adult/

"OneChild is thrilled to be partnering with Meta. This exclusive partnership is a perfect example of how children are working with businesses to help build safer online communities for themselves and their peers," said Cheryl Perera, Order of Ontario Appointee and Founder and President of OneChild, the first organization worldwide empowering a movement of children and youth to take action against the sexual exploitation of children.

"At Meta, our work on child and youth safety has spanned over a decade. As part of our ongoing commitment to youth safety and cross-industry work with leading Canadian experts, we're pleased to collaborate with OneChild and its Youth Advisory Squad on campaigns like #Beh1ndTheScr3ens to help prevent the sexual exploitation of children and ensure safer and healthier online communities. These efforts work in concert with our zero-tolerance policies and cutting-edge safety technology to detect, report, and prevent this kind of behaviour in the first place," said Erin Taylor, Public Policy Programs Manager at Meta. 

In addition to the #Beh1ndTheScr3ens videos looping on screens in the cafeteria and hallways of Ontario's schools this month and beyond, OneChild's YAS will also provide these schools with a stand-alone video titled, Why 13?. This youth-scripted and produced video will focus on 13 as the average age of recruitment by traffickers in Canada. This video and an accompanying Educator Toolkit are geared towards in-class learning and to assist teachers in having an open and safe dialogue with students about the realities of child sex trafficking in Canada and how to protect themselves from sex traffickers online. As part of the Why 13? video, YAS is posing a social media challenge to schools across Ontario asking their peers, faculty, and their parents to come to school or work on National Human Trafficking Day with the number 13 written across their masks.  As part of the challenge, those participating will be asked to take a picture of their 13 mask before or at school or work, post and share it on social media, tag or DM @onechildnetwork and use the hashtag #Beh1ndTheScr3ens, then encourage their peers to participate in the social media challenge too. 

According to Perera, this multi-tiered youth-led awareness campaign not only educates but also unites children, youths, parents, guardians, and school boards in the ongoing fight against the sexual exploitation of children.

About OneChild
Founded in 2005 by an Ontario-based teenager, Cheryl Perera. OneChild is the first worldwide organization empowering a movement of children and youth to take action against the sexual exploitation of children. Its Youth Advisory Squad (YAS) is a group of passionate children aged 14-17 that serve as OneChild's youth ambassadors, advisors, and the broader trafficking movement. To-date, OneChild has impacted over 91,000 globally including 255 schools, corporations, law enforcement, community groups and governments in Canada and 10 other countries. For more information on OneChild, please visit https://www.onechild.ca/

About Meta
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

Learn more about Meta's tools, resources, and policies on our Child Safety Hub co-developed with industry experts.

Media interview opportunities are available upon request with OneChild's Youth Advisory Squad members and its Founder and President, Cheryl Perera.

SOURCE OneChild Network & Support Inc.