Children, the internet and safety

The internet has proven to be a powerful communication tool, which should facilitate information sharing while offering a surplus of educational opportunities for all. It also reduces geographical distances, offers online games and various chat rooms where social networking can be eased. However, the fact that the internet enables easy and private access even to children, has provided children with easy access to offensive and/or age-inappropriate material. This has also increased the opportunity for the sexual exploitation of children through online chatting, with offenders being deceptive about their true intentions and identities.

It is of great concern that children are just a click away from illegal and harmful material such as pornography, violent material, paedophilia, chat rooms and sexual exploitation.

A Survey on The Use of the internet by Students carried out by the National Statistics Office in 2005 shows that 79.1 per cent of school children, with equal proportions for boys and girls, access the internet regularly mainly for entertainment and educational purposes. Chatting is also widespread; in fact 8.7 per cent of all students, said they had an appointment with someone they had encountered in a chat room. Also, on average, about one out of every three students is exposed to pornographic, violent and racist material as well as vulgar language when browsing the internet.

Child abuse over the internet can range from child pornography to inappropriate and malicious approaches by adults towards minors.

An offender may loiter in internet chat rooms, gathering information, transmitting pornographic material or inviting a child to do inappropriate acts in front of the webcam. It is also common for offenders to move the conversation with a child to a private chat room, then possibly arranging a real-life meeting. Abuse can also take place when an adult and a child communicate through the chat rooms and the adult engages in indecent acts in front of the webcam making it a point that the child is exposed to such behaviour.

It is clear that the protection of children is of paramount importance when dealing with online illegal and harmful material and the subsequent problems of child pornography, grooming, paedophilia and others.

Children are a top priority due to their high vulnerability and it is in response to this that the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology and Agenzija Appogg have collaborated in the setting-up of the Hotline for child abuse over the internet. This project also includes the collaboration of other stakeholders such as the Cyber Crime Unit of the Malta Police Force, the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity, the Ministry for Education, Youth and Employment, the Commissioner for Children and the local internet Service Providers.

EU funds facilitated the setting-up of the Appogg hotline service, which forms part of an international network of hotlines as represented by INHOPE (Association of Internet Hotline Providers). This membership with INHOPE is important since it gives the Hotline strength to work against child pornography and malicious contacts made over the internet, not just on a local level but also internationally. This project commenced in the year 2006 and aims at promoting safer use of the internet and new online technologies, while offering a secure and confidential environment where the public can report online abuse. The sole objective is to answer to the needs of the public and to protect victims from this modern threat. All stakeholders can only reach this objective if it is a concerted effort by all.

This service is complimentary to Supportline 179, the national 24-hour helpline operated by Appogg. This is an innovative approach through which the public can be reached and listened to. Now that the Hotline is fully-operational, citizens can file reports of child abuse over the internet using the Supportline 179 network, from where they will be referred to specialised staff ready to help them overcome these issues.

Another important source of information is the Appogg website, where one can find necessary tips on how to keep the Internet a safe place especially for children, together with an online reporting system to notify child abuse instances over the Internet if, unfortunately, the need should arise.

Ms Bianchi is marketing and communications officer at the Foundation for Social Welfare.

An informative leaflet about the Appogg hotline service can be requested for free on 2295 9000 or from the Marketing Office on 2388 5118. More information about Appogg services can be obtained online at www.appogg.gov.mt and www.mfss.gov.mt

Agenzija Appogg forms part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services.