U.S. Catholic Bishops Urge Congressional Action to Safeguard Children

In a recent statement, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has called on Congress to take immediate action in protecting children from online pornography and addressing the alarming issue of online exploitation and abuse. The bishops emphasized the critical need to safeguard the well-being and safety of young people and vulnerable individuals in light of the destructive consequences associated with these threats.

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By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
6/8/2023 (10 months ago)

Published in Marriage & Family

Keywords: Catholic, children, bishops, safety, online, exploitation

Highlighting the significance of this matter, four prominent bishops of the USCCB released a letter on June 7 addressed to members of Congress. The signatories included Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. of Kansas City-St. Joseph, chair of the USCCB's Committee on Protection of Children and Young People; Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, chair of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Auxiliary Bishop Robert P. Reed of Boston, chair of the Committee on Communications; and Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, chair of the bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth.

The bishops acknowledged the failure of the Catholic Church in protecting children from sexual abuse by clergy, a painful revelation that has unfolded over the past two decades. They expressed firsthand awareness of the destructive impact of child exploitation and stressed the urgent need for a culture that prioritizes the protection of children against sexual exploitation.

Moreover, the bishops drew attention to the potential negative effects of social media on the mental health of young people. They emphasized the necessity for young individuals to experience a safe and secure journey to adulthood, free from exposure to pornography. The bishops warned that the traumatic exposure to pornography robs children of their innocence, distorts their understanding of sexuality and relationships, and increases the risk of addiction, victimization, and maltreatment.

According to distressing statistics, the majority of young people have encountered pornography by the age of 13, whether intentionally or accidentally. In light of these grave concerns, the bishops called for concrete measures to minimize the harm caused by pornography. They urged the prosecution of individuals involved in coercing others to produce pornographic content and advocated for empowering victims to remove unlawfully created pornography from online platforms.

The bishops also expressed their dismay at the coerced involvement of children and young people in the production of illegal pornography, highlighting that such acts constitute human trafficking due to a child's inability to provide consent.

While recognizing the efforts made by parents, the bishops acknowledged the inherent dangers that the internet poses to children. They stressed the immediate need for effective safeguards that prevent children from accessing inappropriate content. Legislative measures should aim to assist parents in protecting their children online and equip them with the necessary tools to monitor their online activities.

Additionally, the bishops raised concerns about online abuse, extortion, and blackmail, where sexual favors or money are coerced through threats of releasing explicit images or personal information. They insisted that legislation must ensure that social media platforms neither enable predators nor undermine the rights of parents to safeguard their children from harm.

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Researchers have extensively investigated the role of popular social media platforms in facilitating the spread of illegal pornography and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). For instance, Instagram, owned by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been found to host user accounts seeking to purchase sexual content depicting underage individuals. Investigations by the Wall Street Journal, Stanford University, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst have shed light on sexually explicit hashtags, pornographic accounts operated by minors, and the promotion of illegal pornography through Instagram's recommendation systems.

While Meta has emphasized its commitment to combating child exploitation and has implemented measures to remove networks distributing pedophilic material, further action is needed to address the scale of the problem. Experts have urged Meta to allocate more resources and reinvest in human investigators to effectively tackle the issue.

Similarly, researchers at the Stanford Internet Observatory found that Twitter, despite the availability of screening software and established best practices, has failed to block dozens of known images of child pornography. This highlights the necessity for social media platforms to enhance their screening mechanisms and adopt robust measures to combat CSAM.