A report on sexual exploitation of youth in Newfoundland and Labrador recommends that schools offer more education and awareness on sexual exploitation and consent.

That’s one of the findings of a report by Thrive released yesterday, which calls on government to establish a department dedicated to oversee the process of reducing such exploitation. The report also calls for more mental health and addictions workers in schools.

Thrive says exploiters are now finding easier ways to carry out their deeds as gaming and other online sites are places in which youth are easily targeted.

The report concludes that youth are at more risk now than ever and we’re not talking about it—not in agencies, in schools, at home or in our community spaces.

RNC and RCMP have a joint unit to combat such exploitation. Thrive executive director Angela Crockwell says the first charge recently for human trafficking is a positive development.

She says without that work and that focus, they may never have picked up on this as being human trafficking and warranting such a charge.