When we think about the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, we tend to picture the moment everything has already gone wrong: a police investigation, a rescue operation or a headline exposing another horrific case. But the truth is that exploitation rarely begins there.
It usually starts much earlier, with moments so ordinary that they often go unnoticed, such as an unsolicited message on social media, a seemingly harmless invitation from someone they know, or a request to keep a conversation secret. Long before a child ever appears in a police report, there are dozens of opportunities to identify the warning signs and prevent harm from happening in the first place.
Growing up in Colombia means knowing this isn’t a distant problem. It’s something you see in everyday life, but also in the numbers: according to UNICEF’s 2026 report, one in five Colombian adolescents experienced online sexual abuse, exploitation, or other forms of technology-facilitated sexual violence in the previous year.
Even more revealing, half of the victims already knew the person responsible, while only 30% were contacted exclusively by strangers online. It challenges one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding child exploitation: it rarely begins with a stranger. More often, it starts with someone familiar, long before anyone recognizes the warning signs or identifies it as exploitation.
If exploitation often begins within a child’s existing social environment, prevention cannot simply be about teaching children to fear strangers. It must also help them recognise inappropriate behaviour from people they know and trust, while giving parents, teachers and local communities the tools to identify warning signs before harm occurs.
The research also reveals another critical aspect of prevention. According to UNICEF, one in five cases was committed by another minor, often manipulated or recruited by organised criminal networks. This also changes how we think about prevention. It is not only about protecting potential victims, but also about identifying vulnerable young people before they themselves become part of the cycle of exploitation. By giving children the knowledge to recognise grooming, strengthening support networks around families and schools, and creating safe spaces to speak up, we are not only protecting potential victims, but also reducing the likelihood that more children are drawn into exploitation.
This is why prevention is often invisible, yet it is where the greatest impact happens. A child who never receives that first manipulative message will never appear in official statistics, and a teenager who recognises grooming tactics early enough will never become part of a criminal investigation. Success rarely makes the headlines because the harm never happens.
The challenge is that prevention is difficult to measure. We can count victims, investigations and arrests, but it is almost impossible to count the children who were protected before exploitation ever began. In Colombia alone, more than 22,000 children entered the judicial system as victims of commercial sexual exploitation over the past decade, with most cases identified between the ages of 14 and 17. By the time these young people reach the system, prevention has already failed.
That is why Holafly has chosen to support organisations such as Valientes Colombia, whose work focuses on prevention long before exploitation occurs. Through school programmes, teacher training and community awareness initiatives, they help children, families and local communities recognise risks early and build the protective networks that make exploitation less likely to happen.
But prevention is not only the responsibility of governments, charities or companies. It belongs to all of us. Staying informed, recognising warning signs and refusing to ignore suspicious situations can make a real difference. If you witness signs of child exploitation while travelling, report them through the appropriate authorities. If you want to go one step further, consider supporting organisations like Valientes Colombia by funding prevention workshops, sponsoring educational programmes, volunteering your time or making a donation to help expand their work.
How you can help
Report suspected cases If you witness signs of child exploitation in Colombia, report them immediately through Line 141 (ICBF) or anonymously using the Te Protejo app. Acting early can help prevent further harm.
Support prevention Valientes Colombia relies on the support of individuals and organisations to expand its prevention work. Through its website, you can donate, sponsor prevention workshops and educational programmes, support school initiatives, volunteer your time or professional expertise, or even sponsor a child’s educational journey to help strengthen local protective networks.
Learn more Visit www.valientescolombia.org to learn more about their work, explore the different ways to contribute, or contact the team directly at contacto@valientescolombia.org. Every contribution helps create safer environments for children and adolescents.
The biggest mistake we make is believing child exploitation begins with a crime. In reality, it begins much earlier, and so should prevention.
