Protect children from online predators

More than 35% of children are dating someone they met online and have never met in real life. Children as young as 12 were also found to be accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions with ease.

This was according to the latest annual statistics report from the National Centre for Child Protection (NCCP), which raised the alarm around the dangers of cellphone use as it pertains to children, who are often exposed to predatory strangers seeking them out via social media and gaming platforms, among others.

Data used to compile the statistics was gathered through direct and personal engagement with children during educational school talks, as well as from reports, and communication via SMS, WhatsApp and phone calls to their Child Protection Hotlines and Counselling Hotline.

In South Africa, children aged 0–17 have a major presence online, with 96% having access to the internet and over 26% of all social media users falling within this age group.

According to research findings, 64% of children have access to a smartphone or tablet by the age of 10, while 86% of high school children have their own cellphones and 80% of children have access and usage of a second cellphone.

Addiction to pornography, the centre said, was also a huge concern.

“The average age of first exposure to pornography is 7 years old, 21% watch pornography every day, 59% watch pornography regularly. Close to 5.2 million children have also seen sexual images on a device (mostly cellphones). Seventy-two percent of children have taken nude pictures or videos of themselves,” the report found.

Children were found to be dating someone they met online and had never met in real life, while there was a 95% probability that the person they were dating may have used and is using a fake profile, the organisation found.

“Children as young as 12 are accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions with ease.”

Gaming was also another major challenge as Roblox, one of the most popular online gaming platforms, “exposed (children) to online predators and paedophiles”.

“Fortnite is currently the most popular game in South Africa. Children speak to strangers and move conversations to messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and this being the most popular.”

NCCP managing director Danie van Loggerenberg said the online and cellphone world was new territory for many parents as they hadn’t grown up exposed to similar situations.

“No matter how many times we tell parents it’s scary and dangerous, that strangers have complete access to their kids, on Wednesdays, they’ll be receiving the newest version of a cellphone.

Because of broken family structures, many children are searching for people online to like them or to make friends.

In single-parent households, the parent is often so focused on work that the child starts looking elsewhere for connection and friendship.

“However, through social media and gaming, our children are now interacting with fake profiles. After building trust using fake pictures pretending to be a child, these individuals share more information about themselves; they’ll start by saying, ‘I’m actually not 15, not 21 either.’ The age will grow until it may turn out the person is in their 50s or 60s.

“They’re interacting with complete strangers, told how beautiful they are. “When the children realise they’ve made a mistake and no longer want to speak to the person, the adult will send them suicide photos.

“Our biggest concern is the rapid growth of children aged 10–13 engaging in risky behaviour, such as sharing explicit images. This group is not only the youngest to send nudes but also the easiest to manipulate.”

Van Loggerenberg said parents often did not believe it was happening and were reluctant to parent their children.

“Children are naturally curious and eager to explore, whether it’s playing popular games or connecting with others online. But as a parent, it’s crucial to ask: do you actually know who your child is playing with? If the answer is no, then they shouldn’t be interacting with them, no matter how much they insist.

Chances are, the person on the other end isn’t who they claim to be. When parents set boundaries, kids often get upset, whether it’s about being told ‘no’ to a game, a sleepover, or something else. But as a parent, your job isn’t to be their best friend or always say ‘yes’ to keep the peace. Your job is to protect them, whether they’re 10, 12, or 15. Before you hand them a cellphone, sit and explain the dangers. Have open conversations, so that they feel open enough to also come to you when there is a problem.”

School social media pages were also where predators targeted children, said Van Loggerenberg.

Hope for the Future founder Vanessa Sauls said as parents needed to work, children were often unsupervised on their mobile phones.

“The problem is when the child wants a cellphone, who monitors that child’s activity? It needs to be done very responsibly, there must be rules in place. Often when the person asks, (children) lie about their age; they are always 16–18, when they are actually 7 or 8. Screen time should be controlled,” she said.

Cape Times