HARRISBURG — A group of Pennsylvania legislators is taking action to address the rise in online child exploitation by introducing a resolution that designates the week of Aug. 17 through 23, 2025, as Social Media Safety and Parental Awareness Week in Pennsylvania.

The measure is being led by Sens. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, Tracy Pennycuick, R-Montgomery, Frank Farry, R-Bucks, and Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe. Together, they are urging schools, parents and community leaders to join in promoting education and prevention of online dangers to children during the designated week.

This initiative is the first of its kind in the United States, senators said in a press release. No other state has formally designated a week focused solely on social media safety and parental awareness in response to the growing threats of sextortion and AI-driven exploitation. Pennsylvania is leading the way on both the state and national level, setting a precedent for how lawmakers can respond to the evolving challenges children face online.

Martin previously authored legislation creating Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something school threat reporting program under Act 44 of 2018. Farry authored companion legislation when he was in the House of Representatives.

“As a father of four, this issue is deeply personal,” said Martin. “No parent should feel helpless watching their child navigate the digital world. Predators are using technology to reach into our homes and harm children through manipulation and threats. This resolution is about awareness, education, and equipping families to protect their children before harm is done.”

“As chair of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, I am increasingly concerned about the rise of online generated sexual images of children. Social Media Safety and Parental Awareness Week will help raise awareness about the possible dangers of social media and other internet content inappropriate for our youth,” said Pennycuick. “We must all take responsibility for protecting our kids from these online predators and send a clear message: the insidious use of social media to harm others will not be tolerated in our commonwealth.”

“As a father and a legislator, I feel a responsibility to do what I can to raise awareness about the growing threat of online exploitation,” said Farry. “With cases on the rise, it’s more important than ever to take action to protect our children and ensure their safety.”

“As a mother and longtime advocate for child safety, I believe we must urgently and collectively confront the serious risks our children face online,” said Brown. “Designating a week for Social Media Safety and Parental Awareness is a critical step towards raising awareness among families, schools, and communities. It’s time we make this a top priority and take action to protect our kids.”

The resolution builds on recent legislative efforts at both the state and federal level to better protect children from threats online. In Pennsylvania, Act 125 of 2024 criminalized the creation and distribution of an intimate or sexual deepfake of a person and classified explicit deepfakes of minors as child sexual abuse material.

Also, Act 35 of 2025 classified digital impersonation and deepfakes as a form of criminal forgery under Title 18, giving law enforcement new tools to combat online abuse. The legislation was the first of its kind in the nation to take a comprehensive approach to deepfakes.

Pennycuick was the lead author of both laws.

At the federal level, Congress passed the Take It Down Act, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, to criminalize nonconsensual deepfake imagery. It was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on May 19, 2025.

In 2024, the Cyber Tipline received 20.5 million reports of suspected child exploitation, including over 546,000 cases of online enticement and 67,000 involving AI-generated content. Reports linked to artificial intelligence rose by more than 1,300 percent. Over 100,000 cases involved fake explicit images used to extort victims.

In many instances, the abuse was only discovered after the child attempted self-harm or suicide. Disturbingly, an estimated 98% of sextortion cases go unreported, according to a recent study. This crisis is compounded by the fact that 1 in 7 youth victims reports self-harm in response to sextortion, underscoring the urgent need for early intervention, awareness, and parental involvement.

As students return to school this fall, legislators hope the awareness week will prompt early conversations at home and in classrooms. If adopted, the resolution will encourage schools, parents, and civic organizations across the Commonwealth to host programs and share resources that equip children and caregivers to recognize and respond to online threats.