More children and young people are online than ever in the third year of Covid-19 and distance learning. Many are left without online supervision by parents and caregivers working away from home and lacking awareness of parental control tools.
Turning to technology for learning and play, children inevitably face risks. In the last year alone, an estimated 400,000 children in Thailand faced grave instances of online sexual exploitation and abuse, according to the Disrupting Harm report recently released by Ecpat, Interpol and Unicef Office of Research -- Innocenti.
The report sheds light on the disturbing reality that 10% of children aged 12-17 in Thailand have met someone in person that they first met online, and 29% have seen sexual content online by accident. Blackmail, coercion to engage in sexual activities under the threat of having their images shared can take place when children are online or in-person with technology, most often committed by people they know.
As a parent of teenagers myself, I believe we must use every opportunity to support and guide children, who are equally vulnerable, in navigating their new reality that is restricted to their homes and screens. That means becoming familiar with digital platforms where incidences are most common, including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, and having open conversations with our children on their online activity. A simple question, such as "what's on your mind" and listening actively can open conversations on sensitive topics. These findings are indeed a wake-up call to ensure our children have the digital skills and literacy to stay safe online and trust in us to ask for help.
At schools, safeguarding policies must reflect the new challenges and risks of remote learning. Teachers can promote good online habits and access to counselling for students, as well as be alert to signs of distress from their online activity. The report found that few children turn to hotlines or the police for help, so it is our responsibility as parents, teachers and carers to dispel any shame and victim-blaming and be aware of local reporting mechanisms and support services.
The government will need to ensure that laws and policies can address emerging challenges when implemented and that police officers, prosecutors and social workers are fully supported in preventing, detecting and responding to cases of online sexual exploitation and abuse. While there are positive justice practices in Thailand such as quickly dealing with offenders, it is also important that all children and caregivers are informed of the risks, their rights and supported in navigating the justice process.
Importantly, the IT sector must step up beyond awareness-raising to proactively detect, work with law enforcement and take down material related to online sexual exploitation and abuse of children on their platforms. It's time for service providers and digital platforms to apply their innovative tools to designing services that are safe for use by children -- in the same way the industry-wide seatbelt design now protects and saves thousands of lives on our roads every day.
Unicef is helping to protect children and young people in the digital space in Thailand through supporting law reform and working with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the child protection system covers online safety. Our new report features key evidence and steps to guide the government, law enforcement, social services, businesses, schools and communities in joining forces and acting now.
All sectors of the society should work together to ensure that every child grows into a confident digital citizen that can engage positively, critically and safely in our increasingly digital world. It takes digital village as well to raise a child.
Kyungsun Kim is Unicef Representative for Thailand.
