300 – R.E.A.L. Friends Don’t: Online Safety Campaign, with Kelsey Syms

Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Kelsey Syms as the two discuss R.E.A.L. Friends Don't and its importance in educating youth and parents and caregivers about online dangers.
Kelsey Syms
Kelsey Syms is the program manager for the Combating Human Trafficking program at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. She has a master's in Applied Leadership and Management and a bachelor's in Political Science. She's been with the McCain Institute, based in Washington D.C., since 2018.
Key Points

A recent survey by the McCain Institute found that parents and teen on't talk about sexting and online dangers.
It's important that the talk between parents and teens about sexting and online dangers fulfill the stop, drop and roll method, meaning that it is a repetitive practice, not just a box that is being crossed off.
Many parents often avoid difficult conversations like the one about online dangers, because they fear they are exposing their child to mature subjects at too early an age. However, R.E.A.L. Friends Don't provides a toolkit that gives parents tips on conversation starters.
R.E.A.L. Friends Don't is focused on educating young people about the ways in which predators use social media to target vulnerable groups. They provide resources for both parents and teens, in Spanish and English.

Resources

Mccain institute 
R.E.A.L Friends Don’t: Online Safety Campaign
R.E.A.L. Friends Don’t ‘Know the Platform’
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline
Take It Down
The Trevor Project 
Q Chat Space
Get the Conversation Started Toolkit
NetSmartz 
R.E.A.L. Friends Don’t Facebook 
R.E.A.L. Friends Don’t Instagram
R.E.A.L. Friends Don’t Youtube








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Transcript
Sandra Morgan 0:00

You're listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode 300, R.E.A.L Friends Don't: Online Safety Campaign with, Kelsey Syms.

Sandra Morgan 0:29

Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University's Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. This is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Today we have with us Kelsey Syms, from the McCain Institute to talk about the R.E.A.L Friends Don't Online Safety Campaign. Kelsey has a master's in Applied Leadership and Management and a bachelor's in political science. She's been with the McCain Institute since 2018. So Kelsey, welcome.

Kelsey Syms 1:20

Thank you so much, Dr. Morgan. It's a pleasure to be here.

Sandra Morgan 1:24

I'd like to know a little bit first about, what is the McCain institute?

Kelsey Syms 1:29

The McCain Institute is an action tank. We are a part of Arizona State University based in Washington, DC and we work on a whole host of issues ranging from democracy, human rights, preventing targeted violence, leadership programs, and combating human trafficking.

Sandra Morgan 1:55

I love that and you've actually been with the McCain institute combating human trafficking for five years now. Is that right? 

Kelsey Syms 2:05

That's correct, I have. I joined the institute. I spent an internship with the Department of Justice in their child exploitation and obscenity section, and shortly thereafter joined the McCain Institute's combating human trafficking program, and have really enjoyed the thorough and impactful work that we've been doing, and really see a lot of opportunity ahead for us.

Sandra Morgan 2:29

So I think it's important when we do our show notes, we'll put a link to the McCain institute. I love how it is based in an academic setting because so often we have abolitionist agendas, we are advocates, we're activists,