Safe OnLine Outreach (SOLO) Executive Summary These truly are changing times and the rapid introduction

of the Internet into the majority of Canadian home during the last 5 years is an example. One result of this introduction is that young people can now be remotely lured out of their homes by predators who intend to sexually exploit them. The Internet has opened up many previously unimagined venues, both for sexual exploitation and for amazing access to information. The Safe OnLine Outreach Project (SOLO) is an innovative approach to reducing the risks of online sexual exploitation. SOLO will initiate a three-fold plan that will educate, advocate, and facilitate; the Project will involve community, the technical industry and youth. Initially SOLO will establish a series of training presentations for youth service professionals, crisis response workers, and law enforcement partners. This will ensure that youth, once aware of sexual exploitation and the risks in cyberspace, will have professionals adequately prepared to assist them. After training core groups of professionals in geographical communities, the SOLO Project will target key stakeholders in online communities. Online youth groups and the Internet industry will be engaged to create and maintain a web-based infrastructure that will support youth safety in online settings. Thirdly the SOLO Project will launch an online outreach web portal that will provide information and support to youth exploited online that will include peer mentor and advocacy opportunities. Rapidly changing media require rapidly changing approaches to youth safety and media education. SOLO will do both.

Project Summary
The Safe OnLine Outreach Project (SOLO) will aim to reduce the sexual exploitation and damage to youth who are targeted by online predators. SOLO will mobilize multi-sector community representatives and youth to foster partnerships and collaborative efforts towards making the Internet safer for young people through education and support. The Safe On Line Outreach project (SOLO) have two main foci: one is to train professionals who work with youth in law enforcement, social services, and educational

settings about online exploitation and how to deal with it once its been identified; and the other is to create online resources and support for youth to be safe in their online lives. SOLO represents a new community and Internet based approach to online sexual exploitation. The SOLO Project will achieve three objectives that will likely occur in three stages: 1) Professional Community Mobilization: to establish a comprehensive network and training of concerned community representatives to cope with the sexual exploitation of youth on the Internet in the B.C. lower mainland. 2) Technical Community Mobilization: to create and launch a web-based infrastructure, in collaboration with the technical community (Media Can; ISP, chat line providers) that will support youth safety. 3) Youth Community Mobilization: to create an online outreach service that will provide information and support to youth in online settings where they are at risk. Social Development Approach SOLO will use extensive consultation with all key players concerned about or affected by sexual exploitation on the Internet. Youth will play an important role in advising the project. Law enforcement, education, social services, criminal justice, academic, media and industry will provide key information. Grass roots organizations like PASA will guide and inform the project. Roles and Responsibilities The SOLO project will involve many people and organizations in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the entire project. Due to its innovative nature it is important to ensure that key informants in government, media and community play integral roles from the very beginning. A provisional Advisory Board is already being developed, and sponsors and partners are being consulted and brought on board continuously. Sponsors will take on the responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the project. Partners will provide financial, technical or other support. The sponsors and the partners will report semi-annually to the Advisory Board on the progress of the project and any information requested by the Advisory Board. Sponsors and partners must maintain an at-arms-length relationship to the Advisory Board because they have other fiduciary responsibilities as non-profit, charitable or business organizations