FL State Senator Lauren Book joins the COVID-19 exploitation bandwagon

A couple of points here:

1. She is still using the misinterpreted stat "one in five children are sexually solicited online." This stat came from Youth Internet Safety Survey (YISS); in that survey, 19% received a broad term "sexual solicitation," which included anything from sexual spam to someone asking if a person “got  lucky” on a date; Only one in 33 experienced an "aggressive sexual solicitation," or a request to contact offline; 24% came from adults, 48% came from other juveniles, and 24% from unknown people; thus, no one can assume all solicitations came from "online predators." But that doesn't stiop FloriDUH's Resident Evil from lying through her slimy teeth.

2. She calls herself a "best-selling author." Of course, I know lots of self-published authors online who make the same claims. In reality, Bimbo Book gives away far more books than she sells, so she's her own biggest customer. (You can see she spends tens of thousands on buying her own books on Lauren's Kids Form 990s.) And those books she gives away isn't truly free, but paid for with taxpayer dollars.

This woman's arrogance knows no bounds.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-com-book-online-learning-digital-safety-20200331-6vkw2dtvbndrffdtdb5ejjsade-story.html

Online learning also means practicing digital safety | State Sen. Lauren Book
By LAUREN BOOK
SPECIAL TO THE SUN SENTINEL |
MAR 31, 2020 | 8:00 AM

In a time when schools are closed, social distancing is required, and online presence has skyrocketed, digital safety is of the utmost importance.

The FBI recently announced that during this time of school closures, threats to children are at an all-time high. Children and teens are turning to digital devices for entertainment and education – without taking proper digital safety precautions, your child could be at risk. 

A shocking 1 in 5 children who touch a digital device will be sexually solicited online. Digital devices open the door for millions of people to insert themselves into your child’s life. Those who seek to abuse and exploit children online frequent the very same apps, games and social media sites as their intended victims – first gaining access and trust, then exploiting it.

Our job as parents and caregivers is to protect the children in our lives, and when it comes to digital safety, it is critical for parents to be educated about common dangers and ways to reduce risk. And with April designated National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the topic is timely...

To combat this epidemic of exploitation, families need access to information and resources to help keep technology secure and promote digital safety for children and teens. The Lauren’s Kids foundation – a nonprofit organization I founded in 2007 to protect children from sexual abuse – is making resources available to families at no cost during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit LaurensKids.org.

Lauren Book is a Florida State Senator, founder and CEO of Lauren’s Kids, former classroom teacher, best-selling author, and child safety expert. She is also a concerned mother of twins who is, like many Americans, trying to manage working, parenting, schooling, and worrying from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.