Raising awareness of social media and human trafficking

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - A group is raising awareness of the connection between social media and human trafficking and sexploitation.

The Sisters of St. Joseph’s Social Justice Committee in Watertown is bringing in panelists and experts to talk about how people can be forced into labor or a sex act.

In a world with high use of social media, different agencies want to make the public aware of a direct connection between social media use and human trafficking.

“Nobody really is immune regardless of where we live; 66% of students reported that they came across sexually explicit content and 51% indicated that sexually explicit content was sent to them,” said Anita Seefried-Brown, Alliance for Better Communities.

The panel discussion is from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Children’s Home of Jefferson County dining hall.

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