Dangerous playground

Last September 18, 2019 in General Santos City, a child celebrity named “Baste”, whose real name is Sebastian Benedict Granfon, was given recognition by the United States Department of Homeland Security, for his “commitment and support to the department’s national cyber safety campaign aimed to bring awareness and education to children and parents in the Philippines to protect themselves from the potential dangers of the internet.”

In this day and age where our children have access to the internet and have accounts in social media, they are at the same time plunged in a vast and treacherous online world.

The web has been a positive driving force for advancement, education, and economic development yet it has in like manner enabled the people who may harm youths by making it less complex for them to convey, access and offer child sexual abuse materials; to find comparable guilty parties; and reduce their danger of location. And keeping in mind that as the network grows, so too does sexual wrongdoings committed against children where online instruments and services are utilized.

The internet has changed how our children learn and impart, for better and for worse. On one hand, it has brought an abundance of data and research to children's fingertips at the snap of a catch. It very well may be extremely dangerous as it is the favored playground for sexual stalkers. Any child with access to a computer or a cell phone is in danger.

Behind each picture, video or screen, there is a genuine child victim being sexually exploited. Like different types of sexual maltreatment, online abuse can scar victims emotionally and physically for a lifetime. Be that as it may, in contrast to different types of abuse, the child can conceivably be re-victimized millions of times – each time a picture is watched, sent or received.

Furthermore, since the extent of the internet is the entire world, distinguishing and examining wrongdoers is troublesome. They adapt technology, for example, darknet entryways or different unknown channels, to empower their offending and dodge identification. Online sexual abuse regularly happens over various wards, with victims and offenders frequently in various countries.

Children are more vulnerable to sexual abuse if they have already experienced abuse of some kind. Children who live in families where there is child neglect, for example, are more at risk.

Disabled children are three times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse, especially if they have difficulties with speech or language.

A vital segment of diminishing the number of sexual exploitation cases is education. Progressively these occurrences include young people who are self-creating explicit images and sending them over the internet. We can't arrest our way out of this issue. Bringing awareness to light about the dangers that sneak on the internet is vital to helping guard our children safe.

No human being should be maltreated under any circumstances. And in our battle against child abuse, it is important for parents and guardians to be vigilant at home and school personnel while our children are in their care. While our children are out of our sights, they may be playing in a playground that endangers their life. The online playground has reached to its peak of popularity. And let’s keep it safe.