A new study from Georgia State University’s School of Public Health and the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute estimates that 1 in 12 children worldwide have experienced online sexual exploitation or abuse. Published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, the research analyzed over 120 studies from 57 countries, revealing that 8.1% of children globally have been affected.
The study identified various forms of abuse, including unwanted sexual talk (12.5%), non-consensual sharing of sexual images (12.6%), online sexual exploitation (4.7%), and sexual extortion (3.5%).
Help Advance Online Safety Research
Safe Surfin’ Foundation is proud to share an important research opportunity with parents and teens! Echolab at Virginia Tech is conducting a study to help protect teens from online unwanted sexual solicitation. They are looking for teens (13-17) and their parents to participate in a survey that will contribute to this critical research.
If you and your teen qualify, participation involves:
- A brief (5-minute) Zoom check-in with the research team
- A 1-hour survey for teens ($10 gift card/cash reward)
- A 1-hour survey for parents ($10 gift card/cash reward)
- A total of $20 if both participate
Check out the flyer for full details. Your insights will help shape strategies to keep teens safe online!
NSA Conference Snapshot
President Eddie Worth addressed sheriffs at the National Sheriffs’ Association Conference, discussing the future of cyber safety and innovative solutions to protect youth from online threats.
Safeguarding Our Children, One Tool at a Time
The North Carolina Moose Association, in partnership with Safe Surfin’ Foundation, proudly presented a high-performance Cop-in-a-Box (CIAB) laptop with cutting-edge investigative software to the Horry County Sheriff’s Office ICAC Task Force.
Sgt. Brandon Lee and Lt. Chris Graham accepted the donation, emphasizing the need for advanced tools to track online predators.
Last year, ICAC investigators served 96 warrants, leading to 17 arrests. With CIAB, we continue providing law enforcement with the digital tools needed to fight cyber crimes against children.
Thank you to the NC Moose Association for supporting this mission! Together, we are making the internet safer for kids.
Team Spotlight
Marcus H. Long
Marcus H. Long Board Member for Safe Surfin’ Foundation.
“Judge” Marcus Long is a retired Chief Circuit Judge of the 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. He was born in Radford, Virginia and resided in Blacksburg, Virginia his entire life prior to recently retiring to the Lake Norman area of North Carolina. Judge Long graduated from Virginia Tech in 1973 and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1976. He has been married to his wife Elizabeth for 36 years and they have two adult daughters.
He was appointed judge by the Virginia Legislature in 2005 and retired in 2020 as Chief Judge of the 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. During his career on the bench, Judge Long established a family drug treatment court program along with five adult drug treatment courts. Virginia’s Lawyers Weekly named Judge Long a Leader in the Law in Virginia in 2016.
Meet the rest of the Safe Surfin’ Team here.
Help Us. Help Them.
Every day, millions of children navigate the internet—learning, connecting, and exploring. But with that freedom comes real dangers: cyberbullying, online predators, and scams that put their safety at risk.
At the Safe Surfin’ Foundation, we work tirelessly to educate, equip, and empower kids with the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe online. But we can’t do it alone—we need YOU.
Your tax-deductible donation helps us:
- 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆 families & schools about digital safety.
- 𝑬𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒑 law enforcement with the tools to protect vulnerable children.
- 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 kids to recognize and respond to online threats.
Every dollar makes a difference. Together, we can create a safer internet for our children.
Tips & Advice
Be aware of your child’s behavior and changes in overall attitudes. If a child has been caught up with a “friend” online that is a child predator, they will usually “groom” the child and turn the child against the parents and others close to them.