South Africa’s anti-human trafficking hotline received a total of 588 calls at the end of March, compared to the 245 calls during the same period last year.
A21, a global organisation dedicated to combating human trafficking, said the 140% increase in calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline was concerning, especially during the Covid-19 coronavirus national lockdown.
“People are increasingly using online platforms to communicate during the lockdown and this may lead to perpetrators shifting their focus to the online recruitment of victims,” Modrau said. Modrau added: “With children, the perpetrators will create a fake profile, make themselves more appealing and develop a trusting relationship with the child with hidden intentions of exploitation.”
Avoid hashtags with your child’s full names or triggering content – for example #bathtime #daddysgirl.Familiarise yourself with platforms your children are using, even if you won’t personally make use of the apps yourself.Social media is not the only culprit, any online, interactive app or game can open opportunities for predators to act through an “innocent” conversation or asking a lot of personal questions.
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