Official number of child cybercrime victims is ‘small fraction of reality’: NGO

ANN/THE STAR – The real number of children being sexually exploited, abused and bullied online is much higher than the numbers cited by authorities, a non-governmental organization says

According to Datin PH Wong, director of the Childline Foundation, the figures currently available to authorities only reflect a small part of the reality.

The Childline Foundation, in partnership with the UK’s Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), monitors online cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

According to Wong, the IWF reported more than 4,000 cases in 2023 and about 8,000 cases in the first three months of this year alone.

“Online child sexual abuse and exploitation is on the rise,” said Wong, who added that such cases are a form of cyberbullying.

She stressed the importance of making parents and children aware of the dangers that lurk online.

Wong called on both the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Ministry of Communications to come together and develop a national action plan and policy to address the problem.

“Leadership is needed to address this problem, which will only get worse.

“There should also be more consultation with non-governmental organizations,” Wong said.

Ivy Josiah from the Women’s Aid Organisation says young people are spending a lot of time online, making young girls more vulnerable and more likely to be cyberbullied.

This includes sexual harassment, from grooming, non-consensual sexting, cyberstalking to revenge porn.

“We need to teach young people and this should be part of our curriculum to recognize bullies and sexual predators and encourage the use of blocking functions on social media.

“We need to create safe, anonymous reporting channels within schools or communities where victims can report without fear of reprisal,” Josiah added.

Recent incidents highlight the urgent need for vigilance.

A few months ago, two teenage boys were allegedly cyberbullied with vulgarity and sexual innuendos on TikTok by the man who was arrested and charged with cyberbullying the late Rajeswary Appahu.

In addition to the man, there were five other men present at the live session – which took place around 2am.

Advocate Mohan Ramakrishnan said witnesses to the cyberbullying incident should report it to the police as it involved minors.

Mohan also advises parents to closely monitor their children’s internet usage to prevent cyberbullying.