Sexual exploitation is happening all across Newfoundland and Labrador, and there is a need for provincial response.

That from the Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth coordinator, Amnesty Cornelius, who says there is more work to be done, especially as online exploitation is on the rise.

On Monday, the province signed a proclamation, recognizing the Week to Address the Sexual Exploitation of Youth.

Cornelius says it’s hard to gather strong data on the sexual exploitation of youth because it happens underground.

What she does know is that it happens in every community across the province, especially with the rise of online sexual exploitation among vulnerable youth through social media and online chat rooms.

Cornelius says online platforms create a lot of opportunities to target youth. She says there is a lack of laws around the regulation of online safety, and there is very little information about what the issue looks like online.

She says there is an ongoing need to gather such information. She says it’s important to note that you don’t have to be in the same room, community or province to be sexually exploited online, but that there are many things that can be done to prevent and address the issue.