Internet is a great resource that has its perks and perils. Here are some of the main threats faced by children and adolescents on the Internet.
Online sexual abuse
This threat refers to all forms of sexual abuse facilitated by information technologies and / or disseminated through online media, where exploitation, harassment and sexual abuse increasingly take place through Internet.
Cyberbullying
This is a form of harassment and aggression that occurs between peers, friends or classmates. In this, technology is used with the intention of propagating messages or cruel images, so that they are viewed by more people.
The rapid spread and its permanence on the Internet enhance the aggression towards the victim. According to figures revealed by the United Nations (UN), 55% of Latin American youth have been victims of cyberbullying.
Happy slapping
It is a form of cyberbullying and happens when one person or group hits another while the incident is recorded with the camera of a cell phone, with the intention of spreading it on social networks to make fun of the victim.
Grooming
Grooming refers to the strategies that an adult performs to gain the trust of an infant or adolescent, through the Internet, for the purpose of abusing or exploiting them sexually. According to welivesecurity.com, in these cases it is common to use false profiles or identities, so that grooming is presented through any digital medium that allows interaction between two or more people. There are two types of grooming: the first is when there is no previous phase of relationship and trust generation, but the harasser manages to obtain sexual photos or videos of the child to extort it. The second is when there is a previous phase where the harasser seeks to generate trust, making minors deliver sexual material by themselves to make it the object of blackmail. To achieve this, he usually pretends to be a minor, manipulate through the likes and preferences of the victim and use the time to strengthen the bond.
Sexting
It is the exchange of images or videos with sexual content (naked or almost sexually suggestive nudity) through telephones and / or Internet (messages, emails, social networks). It can also be considered a form of sexual harassment in which a child and adolescent can be pressured to send a photo to her boyfriend / girlfriend or partner, who then distributes it without their consent.
Take measures
Preventing children and young people from using the Internet is a very radical measure, as this also deprives them of a set of highly useful resources such as vast information, knowledge or entertainment.
On the other hand, avoiding this access to digital media is not easy, considering that they are part of everyday life. In any case, it is best to provide guidance on the controlled and safe use of the network and make use of Android parental controls provided by digital apps such as FamilyTime android parental control.
With this app in hand, parents can monitor the various social media sites, block unwanted app, limit screen time and much more. The functions of this app is not limited to monitoring rather it is feature – packed solution for all parental concerns. Do you want to see how does the app help? Give it a free try now. You can get trial version of the app from the app store on your phone.