Tanya Ironstone Locke, on behalf of: Children First Society Survivor Led Policy Initiatives Research Advocacy Support Dear Ethics Committee Members, regarding the “Protection of Privacy and Reputation on platforms such as Pornhub” Privacy and Ethics Committee Hearings:
We are writing today to weigh in on the issue of child and youth exploitation, due to an increased concern for children and youth who are at risk of having their trauma commodified by platforms such as Pornhub. We have experienced an increase in requests for services, yet with lack of capacity and coordinated efforts to address the risk factors that marginalize particular groups of children, youth and adults, we are powerless to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Our demographic continues to be exploited and suffer irreparable reputational and psychological harms. This effect translates into chaos and added costs to society in general, intergenerational trauma and harms continue to persist.
We want to explore not only who and what is responsible for this continued exploitation through innumerable porn sites, networks of abusers and consumers of content and illegal child and youth prostitution. We feel there is a need to create an Inquiry into the prevalence and responses of sexual violence against minors.
There is no question that Incest, Rape and Molestation (ICM) of children and youth is not a new problem. What is new is an increase in awareness, however there is not a consistent concrete actionable plan that will keep Children safe from these harms.
The responses are fragmented at best, apathetic and violent at worst. There are countless individuals of all genders currently being exploited, and they have been reached and targeted based on a multitude of factors that include institutionalization, low income and precarious housing, and a general ignorance around what our collective obligation should be towards our most vulnerable.
We are asking for standing to explore the options we all have at our disposal to support creating a standard, Human Rights based prevention and protection circle that includes families and supports them in real tangible ways.
We call for an Inquiry into the police and child welfare services that have excluded and fractured families and children who need empathy respect and safety. We require a non-judgmental trauma informed response, that centres the expertise and knowledge of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) survivors from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
We request an opportunity to speak to these facts and solutions and explain in accessible language the mechanisms that lead to marginalized minors being exploited and commodified long after we have suffered the irreparable harms of CSA. Thank you for your consideration and taking the time to read this briefing note, we are grateful this issue is being discussed, however much too late it is for those who have not survived the ongoing abuse and retraumatization of commodified instances of abuse, we remember them. Our Simplified requests are as follows:
A comprehensive Inquiry into CSA, ICM and Child and Youth Exploitation in all forms, Including Criminal, Institutional, an d Economic.
A commitment to seeking a Nationwide coordinated response standard that minimizes harms caused by Colonial and Oppressive systems responses such as Child Welfare and Policing.
An Action Plan with measurable outcomes directed by and for survivors, that centres expertise of victims.
A coordinated response to organizations and businesses that profit from commodifying the vulnerable, that includes redistribution of profits to victims to partially mitigate the damages caused by profiting from dealing in misery and violence.
Exploration of Core Federal funds to offset the constant deficits that SA centres find themselves in from lack of funding provincially and municipally, suffering from have or have not paradox which is location dependent.
Guardian Ad Litem, or Children’s lawyer for any child involved in any court proceeding that involves them as a Human Right.
We are also requesting standing and an opportunity to speak to our knowledge and suggested solutions, and to stand up for our members who do not feel safe and/or supported in speaking out.