On March 17th, the release of the first episode of the five-part docu-series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV took the nation by storm in its exposé of decades of child exploitation in Hollywood. Numerous sexual assault allegations against high-profile producers, including Nickelodeon’s Dan Schneider and Brian Peck, were brought to light and met with a wave of backlash against some of the company’s most successful productions, leaving millions of Americans wondering the same question: Is Nickelodeon alone? The answer is no. According to the Queen’s Journal, the sexual exploitation of child actors isn’t limited to one network or era, and the stories of young performers being preyed upon by authority are distressingly common.

Yet, time and time again, legislators have failed to address this power imbalance, arising as a result of lacking regulations. “I think it’s horrible,” Senior Sophie Boxwala explained, “I feel especially bad for Amanda Bynes; she was asking for help for years and no one responded.” Junior Sophia Baranic agreed and said, “it’s hard for me to watch some of my favorite Nickelodeon shows from when I was a kid now that I know what really happened behind the scenes.” Within Hollywood, it is evident that there is a dangerous power dynamic at play, and the effects it has had on Hollywood youth have manifested in several disturbing ways. From the prevalence of a common practice known as the Casting Couch, which refers to where minors are forced to trade sexual acts for opportunities to break into the film industry, to the grooming that has been accepted as the norm in the entertainment industry, it is clear that legislators need to act soon and prevent further instances of misconduct.