Episode 27: The Rise of Online Exploitation of Adolescent Girls

SKYlights

PREVIEW: With the closure of schools and the isolative nature of pandemic-life, the last year has clearly been challenging for teens, sometimes in unexpected ways. An emerging issue we’re seeing more and more is the online exploitation of teens online.

Here to talk about the risks, signs, and prevention of online sexual exploitation is senior clinical therapist Kirsten Bolt.

GUEST PROFILE: KIRSTEN BOLT, MED, LMFTKirsten has been working with adolescent girls at Open Sky since 2011. With her firm and direct approach, Kirsten confronts presenting issues and holds students and families accountable to their therapeutic work, while circumventing the shame that can interfere with progress. She incorporates humor and playfulness and quickly develops strong therapeutic relationships.

TOPICS COVERED: adolescent, adolescent girls, teens, sexual exploitation, online exploitation, parenting tips, core values, therapy, wilderness therapy, treatment, parenting

SELECT QUOTES: “First and foremost, if we can help our girls see their value in who they are as people, not how they look, that's number one in my mind. If we can help them recognize the sexual objectification that occurs for girls and women, that's a really great starting place. And if we can teach them to value themselves for their brains, for their strength, for their creative ability, for whatever it is.”

“Have proactive conversations early with your children about online sexual exploitation. Have these conversations with your sons, have these conversations with your daughters. How they can honor their values? How can they protect their hearts and minds? Is this good for me? Or is this short-term satisfaction of that social connection that you're talking about?”

“While this is certainly a concerning topic, there are lots of ways to intervene and to work with our kids. And the more that we're talking about this with each other, the more that we can actually help. The more that we teach our kids, they can spread the word.”

“I don't want to downplay the gravity of this because it is dangerous and very, very risky. And there's a way forward, and it's actually through connection... Let's be in connection with our kids. Let's be in connection with other parents. Let's support our kids being in healthy connection with each other.”

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