As young people share intimate moments online, experts say conversations around sex need to change – CBC
Sextortion case linked to 12-year-old’s death in Prince George has renewed warnings about intimate imagery
Dec 05, 2023
Saleema Noon has been a sex educator in B.C. for 20 years. In her workshops, students can submit anonymous questions that she responds to with a frankness and honesty that is devoid of embarrassment.
While some of the more basic curiosities — like where babies come from — haven’t changed in a few decades, the students asking a certain kind of intimate question are getting younger and younger.
“For the first time this year, I’ve had grade 6 and 7s ask me anonymous questions about foot fetishes. And I know this is coming from sites like OnlyFans,” said Noon.
“Parents need to recognize that our kids are being exposed to these things at younger ages, and our conversations need to be adjusted.”
B.C. educators and parents say they’re increasingly aware of just how much spaces on the internet have come to dominate the most intimate parts of young people’s lives — and the death of a boy in Prince George has been a stark reminder of the risks.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sextortion-conversations-1.7048542
