Washington, D.C. | April 17, 2024 – On Friday, April 12, the End Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children Coalition’s Survivors Council met with Department of Homeland Security officials to discuss the department’s online safety and prevention efforts, including their upcoming Know2Protect (K2P) campaign, which launches today. This national public awareness campaign aims to educate and empower children, teens, parents, adults and policymakers to prevent and combat the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children (OSEAC). Officials who attended included Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo; Deputy Undersecretary for Policy Kelli Ann Burriesci; Principal Director Kristen Best, Counter Transnational Organized Crime, Office of Policy; and Special Assistant to the Secretary Alexandra Schmitt, who received Council members’ feedback and recommendations on the department’s broader online safety efforts as well as the new campaign.
This meeting represents the first of its kind for the Survivors Council, which is supported by the End OSEAC Coalition, whose more than 30 member organizations include ChildFund and PACT. The council’s goal is to bring a trauma-informed perspective to organizations and policymakers working to address OSEAC. The contributions of lived-experience experts to DHS’s growing efforts to combat this crime will strengthen and add credibility to the department’s messaging and training, crucial for protecting more kids online.
“One of the aspects of this meeting that I found most valuable was the emphasis on survivor-led work,” said one council member. “It is clear that DHS wants to incorporate and prioritize survivor-led action moving forward. Realizing that survivors are our best teachers on online safety and incorporating their insights into preventative work is a necessary step.”
Another council member said, “As a lived-experience expert, I want to scream from the highest mountains about [raising] awareness around protecting our kids online, and with the Know2Protect campaign, I don’t have to! I am excited that we can partner with DHS on all efforts made by our government to help keep our kids safe. This is long overdue. Thank you, DHS!”
Affirming the important role of OSEAC survivors’ voices in ongoing efforts to protect children online, Deputy Secretary Canegallo stated that the department is “committed to this work, committed to doing what we can to address what puts children in this position, and committed to bringing perpetrators to justice.”
About the End OSEAC Coalition
The End Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (OSEAC) Coalition is a U.S. advocacy coalition that aims to improve U.S. government policies and programs to better prevent and address the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children and provide appropriate support to survivors. Learn more about our mission to #ProtectKidsOnline: endoseac.org.
About ChildFund
Founded in 1938, ChildFund works throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas — including the United States — to connect children with what they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, no matter where they are. Last year, we reached 21.1 million children and family members in 23 countries. About 200,000 Americans support our work by sponsoring individual children or investing in ChildFund programs. Find out more at www.ChildFund.org
About PACT
Founded in 1991, we are the U.S. member of ECPAT International, a network of organizations in over 100 countries. We are a donor-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to protect children, and the first U.S. organization to focus on commercial sexual exploitation of children. We educate and provide free resources to children, schools, private companies, and legislators across the country. wearepact.org
