By Zaidie Crowe, Editor-in-Chief
An estimated 1.5 billion children and young people amounting to over 91% of the world’s student population are being home-schooled following the lock-down ordered by governments across the globe in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. This figure comes from a Technical Note entitled COVID-19 and its implications for protecting children online, released by UNICEF in April
Classes and learning have shifted to the internet, and especially in technology-affluent countries, it has become necessary for children to spend more time online. There is more than a 50% increase in internet usage. Correspondingly this has led to our children and young people spending more time on social media sites, including online games and video chat programs. The consequence is exposure to higher risks of harm online, such as cyber-bullying and even worse, a higher probability of being cyber-stalked, entrapped, and exploited by sexual predators.
In an interview with the Canadian Press [The Star] on April 8, 2020, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore confirmed to journalist Mike Blanchfield there was evidence that online predators were taking advantage of the pandemic. “We’ve got a couple of worrying signs,” Fore said. “There’s a lot of grooming, a lot of sexting, a lot of trafficking.”
UNICEF’s technical Note also pointed out that although children aged 13 and older may already be familiar with social media, the pandemic has introduced younger children to social networking tools. However, they may not be designed for them, and for which they may have limited preparation.
Understandably, parents and carers may be overwhelmed by the reality of balancing work at home, supervising internet learning, and managing leisure and recreational activities for children. There is a need for us to increase awareness and take action immediately in alerting parents to the increased risks and how they might minimize their child/ren’s exposure to harm. UNICEF supports a balanced approach to the use of digital technology as a means for children to understand their rights while becoming informed and empowered to share their thoughts and concerns. They are not suggesting keeping children away from online engagement. The interest is to ensure their safety. To this end, their technical Note contains useful, doable guidelines to governments, tech companies, and educators.
“Under the shadow of COVID-19, the lives of millions of children have temporarily shrunk to just their homes and their screens,” Fore said. “We must help them navigate this new reality.”
Among other things, they urge governments to make sure social service providers, schools, parents, and children are aware of local reporting mechanisms, including local helplines and hotlines. They also advise Tech companies to make sure that online platforms have enhanced safety and safeguarding measures, especially virtual learning tools, and that they are accessible to educators, parents, and children with built-in protection measures while innovating as appropriate. According to the guidance, educators should update current safeguarding policies to reflect the new realities for children learning from home; promote and monitor good online behavior, and ensure that children have continued access to school-based counseling services.
The pivotal role of parents and caregivers in keeping children safe online includes taking the following actions:
- Ensure children’s devices have the latest software updates and antivirus programs;
- Conduct open dialogue with children on how and with whom they are communicating online;
- Agree on a set of rules for how, when, and where children can use the internet;
- Be alert to signs of distress in children that may emerge in connection with their online activity; and
- Get familiar with school district policies and local reporting mechanisms, and keep support helplines and hotline numbers handy.
On March 23, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added their warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children about the “Present Potential for Increased Risk of Child Exploitation” due to school closures.
The FBI stated that the online sexual exploitation of children comes in many forms. For example, children may be seduced or coerced into sending sexually explicit images, or videos of themselves then threatened with exposure of the pictures to the public or the victim’s family and friends.
Other offenders may make casual contact with children online, gain their trust, and then gradually introduce sexual conversation that will lead to the exchange of illicit images and, ultimately, physically meeting the child in-person without parental knowledge.
The FBI warns that the only way to put an end to this exploitation is to unveil it. We can achieve this when a victim shares what’s happening with parent/s, caregiver, teacher and or other trusted adult. Alternatively, this same group of individuals in a child’s life need to be alert to the kinds of engagements children are making online. The goal must be to inform Law enforcement authorities of any incidences so they can identify the offender and put an end to their nefarious activities. There are usually more victims than a single child, and law enforcement will be able to coordinate action to prevent the sexual exploitation of others.
Of course, parents need to be vigilant at all times about the safety of their children and young people. It is easy to be complacent, thinking that they are at home, and therefore they are safe. That is no longer the case. Predators have weaponized internet access of children against them, and the current pandemic has left children spending increased periods online. Parents and guardians should ensure they teach children to recognize inappropriate behavior towards them by adults. Conversely, parents must learn the signs that will alert them to any potential or actual sexual contact by looking out for any changes in behavior in their children. Some signs to watch out for include secrecy in internet usage, an increase in nightmares, withdrawn behavior, angry outbursts, anxiety, depression, not wanting to be left alone with an individual and increased sexual knowledge.
While there is an increased risk to children due to the necessity of spending more time online for home-schooling, children are also spending more time in their home environments that can be equally dangerous and predatory, if not more so. The Executive Director of UNICEF explained, “The new online threats are also being compounded by the rising instances of physical and sexual abuse that some children are now exposed to within their own homes because of shuttered schools and social distancing…Children used to go to school to get away from it. But now they’re at home. The number of calls we are getting, the number of pleas we are getting, are increasing from children at home.”
Child Abuse Awareness is a necessity, and parents must engage their children on this topic at an age-appropriate level. Some things to do includes the following –
- Teach children about privacy, body safety, and boundaries
- Encourage children to engage in open communication with parents/caregivers
- Thoroughly vet anyone taking care of or watching children; monitor play dates, investigate and know details of every adult who will be around child/children on overnight visits even to people that are known.
- Children should be discouraged from communicating with anyone online or by phone that is not known in real life or is talking/texting without the parent’s knowledge.
- Help children to choose appropriate screen names and strong passwords and not to share their phone numbers without parent’s permission.
- Agree with children not to arrange meet-ups with a phone or online contact without parental knowledge and supervision.
- If your child discloses abuse or, as a parent, you suspect or discover it, you must contact your local law enforcement immediately.
Recommendations
Parents and guardians can take the following measures to help educate and prevent children from becoming victims of child predators and sexual exploitation while they are online:
- Discuss Internet safety with children of all ages when they engage in online activity.
- Review and approve games and apps before your child downloads them.
- Make sure privacy settings are at the strictest level possible for online gaming systems and electronic devices.
- Monitor your children’s use of the internet; keep electronic devices in an open, communal area of the house.
- Check your children’s online profiles and what they post on social media platforms.
- Explain to your children that images posted online will be permanently on the internet.
Make sure children know that they must report anyone who asks them to engage in sexually explicit activity online to a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult and law enforcement. Remember, victims should not be afraid to tell law enforcement about sexual exploitation. The child is a victim and must be encouraged to understand they will not be in trouble with the law. It is not a crime for a child to send sexually explicit images to someone if they are compelled or coerced to do so.
How to Report Predatory Conduct
- Call local law enforcement agencies
- Submit tips to the FBI online at www. fbi.gov/tips
- File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.org
Give as much detail as possible to law enforcement, along with original documentation, emails, text messages, etc. Although instinctively, there is a feeling to delete inappropriate images and conversations immediately, it is best not to do so until law enforcement officers get a chance to see it.
Help for Parents/Guardians/Caregivers/Educators of children in grades 3 to 8 is available from the FBI’s Safe Online Surfing (SOS) program. The age-appropriate lessons and games cover topics like cyber-bullying, protecting personal information, recognizing trustworthy and untrustworthy sites, and avoiding malware. The program is available in English or Spanish.
Finally, the most important thing is that everyone recognizes that the safety of our children and young people is the responsibility of every one of us. Our children will stay safer and enjoy their online learning, entertainment, and connecting with friends and family if as parents and caregivers we are staying informed, taking appropriate actions, educating our children, and reporting every case of predatory, inappropriate contact and conduct that occurs online with
