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assisting in the realization of civil and social rights
Child safety on the Internet. Main issues
At the present time, technology is actively developing. Since childhood, the Internet has become an integral part of the life of the younger generation. It is both a means of communication and a platform for entertainment, information exchange and learning assistance. But at the same time, there is danger on the Internet. Children are especially susceptible to it, who may encounter resources containing content that does not correspond to their age. Today we will analyze common crimes on the Internet, which it is important to learn about in detail.
To begin with, we note that in the virtual space, the same interactions occur between people as in the real world.:
– dating,
– socializing with friends,
– information exchange,
– discussion of problems.
It seems to many that there is no danger in this. But underage children spend a lot of time online, and it is not always known which resources they use.
In Belarus, according to Belstat statistics in 2017, 84.6% of children aged 6-17 go online every day, of them:
- access to the Internet is carried out daily – 76.7%;
- at least once a week – 13.3%;
- on a case–by-case basis - 10%;
One of the most popular resources for teenagers to spend time on is social media. They provide an opportunity to communicate and share information with friends. It is important to know that VKontakte is the most popular in the Republic of Belarus (90% of respondents use it). Facebook Instagram (59%) and Facebook (55%) were next in the ranking (85%), with Odnoklassniki in third place (60%), followed by Instagram (59%) and Facebook (55%).
In addition to social networks, communication also takes place in special messengers. The most popular messengers in Belarus are Viber – 93%, Skype and WhatsApp (62% and 41% of votes, respectively), but Telegram has only 35%. It is important to know this information so that, if necessary, you know exactly what you need to check on your child's phone.
So what could be dangerous about simple, at first glance, communication?
Today, experts identify the following types of harmful effects on children in cyberspace using information and communication technologies:
– ridicule, insults, intimidation (bullying);
– harassment or "courting" online (grooming);
– showing or distributing materials that may cause psychological or physical harm to a child;
– production, distribution and use of child pornography;
– dangers when using mobile phones (providing access to cyberspace from almost anywhere, the ability to take photos and videos unnoticed).
It is important to understand that the ways in which children are exploited are directly related to the characteristics of child psychology. Children are looking for the slightest opportunity to earn money (for food or entertainment), some have poorly developed motivational and volitional sphere of personality, so they turn out to be easily suggestible and ready to take the actions proposed by the attackers.
In 2017, the Representative Office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the Republic of Belarus initiated a comprehensive study to assess the situation of violence against children, which was supported by the National Commission of the Republic of Belarus on the Rights of the Child and conducted jointly with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The present study showed that from 9.0% (students in grades 5-7 of general secondary education institutions) to 18.2% of the surveyed children (students in grades 8-11 of general secondary education institutions) reported that they had been abused by people they knew via the Internet.
That is why it is necessary to inform adults about the existing problem as much as possible and, of course, to tell the children themselves about the dangers. In the following materials, we will look at how to recognize common cybercrimes (bullying, grooming, sexting), minimize the likelihood of a child falling under the influence of cybercriminals and how to respond correctly to a problem discovered or voiced by a child.
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