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We must protect, guide our children in the digital era
Ruth Desire
What you need to know:
More than 400 children worldwide have been sexually exploited online and have kept it a secret unsure of how adults will react.
Last month, Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the Day of the African Child under the theme “Promoting and protecting children’s rights in the digital era.”
The digital era has brought about significant changes in people’s lives, including children. Work, trade, official tasks, and social interactions have shifted to online spaces for many people.
According to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) 2022 first-quarter market performance report, there are 23.5 million internet connections in the country. Additionally, a 2021 survey conducted by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), ECPAT, and Interpol revealed that 40 percent of children aged 12-17 in Uganda have access to the internet. Of these, more than half go online every day, and 33 percent have access to the internet at least once a week.
Children use the internet for, among other purposes, education, timely communication, social networking, and entertainment such as games and music. However, with all the benefits, including the promotion of children’s right to access information, the internet poses various risks to children such as online sexual exploitation and abuse, cyberbullying, harassment, and exposure to age-inappropriate content, among others.
A 2019 study conducted by the Internet Society Foundation in Kenya revealed that 20 percent of children with access to internet spend their time online engaging with inappropriate content and chatting with strangers. Narrowing it to Uganda, the 2019 Disrupting harm report indicated that of 1,016 surveyed internet-using children in the country, 21 percent had received unwanted requests to talk about sex or sexual acts within the past year.
For some children, parents offer them digital devices such as tablets, computers, and smartphones as a distraction from misbehaviour or as a way of keeping them engaged. Other children access the internet from school and from their friends’ phones and other adults at home or in their social networks.
With such known risks, we cannot downplay other dangers that digital tools present for children. Any form of violence that children experience online has the potential to affect their mental health, relationships, development, ability to learn and general well-being. Thus, it is important that we take some of the following proactive measures to ensure children’s safety online.
First, adults need to educate themselves about responsible internet usage. Equipping yourself with knowledge on how to be respectful, and protect privacy and reputation while navigating digital spaces will enable you to guide children to interact safely online from an informed angle.
Parents, teachers, and guardians ought to set standards on what children can view on the internet by installing parental control software in the digital gadgets that they access and to also block access to shady sites, and video streaming apps and limit screen time for children.
They also need to establish privacy measures preventing children from sharing personal information such as pictures, passwords and giving out personal details to minimise the risks. Additionally, parents need to teach children to delete and unfollow suspicious requests. However, children may experience online violence even when they are cautious.
Children spend an average of nine hours per school day. With the introduction of hybrid learning in schools, schools need to prioritise children’s online well-being by creating a secure digital space. Schools can implement a robust reporting system, allowing learners and parents to report online violence and ensure prompt action when cases are reported.
Parents and teachers ought to create a safe space for open communication, for children to feel empowered to share their experiences. According to a 2023 report by Economic Impact, more than 400 children worldwide have been sexually exploited online and have kept it a secret unsure of how adults will react.
Lastly, let’s be mindful of causing further harm to child survivors of violence. Sharing personal details of children who have experienced violence such as their photos, names, and location exposes them to shame and ridicule, and takes a toll on their mental well-being. However, we can counter this by sharing child-friendly content and regulating the online environment.
Together, we can keep children safe online!
Ms Ruth Desire works with Raising Voices, [email protected]
