Protect your child against child pornography
JOBURG – Protect children from online content that is not suitable for their age.
Child pornography in South Africa remains the biggest challenge.
This week marks National Child Protection Week which aims to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Children’s Act of 2005.
Communications and public education manager at Film Publication Board (FPB) Janine Raftopoulos said the public should play a role in protecting children from child pornography and cyber bullying.
Raftopoulos said they are currently working with industries and encouraging them that content online should be regulated and classified.
“The online space is challenging – it is a beautiful tool and it is also a dangerous tool to use,” she said.
With school launching paperless classes, we need to be aware of what we post online, said Raftopoulos. She added that content that is uploaded online should be good.
“We are aware that children are victims of cyber bullying and are exposed to online content that is not suitable for their age group and in most cases, they feel vulnerable and don’t know where to turn to for help,” said Raftopoulos.
In 2014, FPB conducted a back-to-school impact assessment survey that revealed that there is a growing trend in premature exposure to adult content among high school children.
The study was carried out in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Northwest and Western Cape provinces.
The study found that 63 per cent girls surveyed had been exposed to online pornography compared to 58 per cent of boys surveyed.
It also found that girls are particularly targeted online for grooming and other forms of sexual exploitation by the likes of child pornography rings and pedophiles.
This year, FPB in partnership with Unisa will be announcing their new research on the impact of media on children in July.
Meanwhile, national chairman of Justice South Africa, Howard Dembovsky said suspects of child pornography should be dealt with harshly.
“Convicted child pornography suspects should be hacked to death with a knife,” he said.
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