With the advent of social media in the past few decades, it has increasingly become a huge part of our lives. One that is almost parasitic in nature: we feed off of dopamine from it, and its algorithm feeds off of our every click. This popularity of and changes in digital paradigm after Covid-19 have pushed for an astonishing rise in social media platforms that allow video, audio and text-based chatting. One such service is Discord. It has a distinct dark mode theme, with colours like white and purple incorporated in the text.
You might recognise Discord from YouTube videos, marketed as a platform where gamers use the service to play games while simultaneously streaming it to a number of followers on their servers. These servers are dedicated spaces created by people where they can chat via both video and audio. These can be public and private; consider it a mini online community.
However, behind the dark screen lurk even darker people: sexual predators. Beyond the gaming world, Discord is easily accessible to every individual. Our limitation lies in the assumption that human trafficking and sex trafficking happen only through physical means; however, with the rise of the internet and technological advancements, these nefarious acts have gone virtual too. Virtual crimes are becoming prevalent, and the most concerning part lies in the fact that early signs correlated with these violations are not easily recognisable. Reports have surfaced of cases of sexual abuse, paedophilia, and the grooming and abduction of minors on this very platform.
Sex trafficking rings
NBC News reports that Discord has been used by many sex trafficking rings. The individuals involved in these crimes coerced minors to send them their nude images and get involved in NSFW acts. According to an article, “In a review of international, national and local criminal complaints, news articles and law enforcement communications published since Discord was founded, NBC News identified 35 cases over the past six years in which adults were prosecuted on charges of kidnapping, grooming or sexual assault that allegedly involved communications on Discord. Twenty-two of those cases occurred during or after the Covid pandemic. At least 15 of the prosecutions have resulted in guilty pleas or verdicts, and many of the other cases are still pending.”
Pimping
Discord is popular for its NSFW servers, where people can access all types of explicit content. While we may not delve into details of that, however, there are servers that are specifically designed to trap young girls and teenagers; these servers are usually run by a woman or group of women. These women create servers that would attract young girls with titles like “LifeHacks” and “Makeup and DressUp”. On the outside, they seem normal, but the reality is a nightmare. These pimps personally reach out to young girls either through other servers and coerce them into joining their servers. When the girls join these servers, they are then skilfully trapped, and sex trafficking begins. These women would demand sexually explicit images from the young girls and then, on separate servers, sell those pictures. If a “client” demands videos, they would then reach out to girls and force them to engage in those explicit acts.
Rape cases
Despite many safety and security policies, Discord users, especially children and teenagers, have been targeted multiple times. They were tricked, or rather “catfished”, by rapists and paedophiles who posed as children their ages into providing them sensitive information like addresses and their whereabouts. These children were then hunted by the predators, and it was reported that a teenager (whose name is not mentioned for privacy reasons) was found dead in her backyard shed, her body bearing the obvious signs of sexual violence and rape. This happened after she was groomed for months. This case is not the first one, neither will it be the last, because majority of these cases do not even come to light.
Kidnappings & Abductions
A 22-year-old man kidnapped a 12-year-old girl he came into contact with through Discord. This is a story that has surfaced; however, there are countless stories like these waiting to see the light of day. Technology has made it possible for people to enter others’ homes without an effort, and the door is their children.
Awareness & Measures
It’s impossible to shelter your child in the world of social media and the internet. Keeping them away from it is also impossible. Advocating that technology should not be used by our children is wrong; they will eventually use it. However, we can make sure that we give our best when it comes to watching out for them. If your child is active on social media, make sure you know about the parental controls on apps and phones. Nowadays, we have bots that are used for child safety; know the people your child contacts on these platforms. This will only be achieved if you have a strong bond with your child, and lastly, always watch out for the smallest signs. The secrecy, deleting of chats and apps after use, and especially their mental health. The online world is a brutal place, and only we can shelter our children from it.