The ills of social media

GEORGE NEWS - National Child Protection Week (CPW) is held in South Africa annually to raise awareness of the rights of children and takes place from Sunday 29 May to Sunday 5 June this year.

It began in 1997 and it aims to mobilise all sectors of society to ensure that children are cared for and protected.

The campaign highlights the importance of protecting children from gender-based violence, neglect, lack of primary healthcare, education, and the violation of their constitutional rights.

It is every citizen's duty to protect children and create a safe and secure environment for them.

However, despite the country's progressive child protection laws, policies and programmes preventing and addressing violence against children, this remains a major challenge.

Current local challenges

According to Adv Gerda Marx of Thu-thuzela Care Centre in George, crimes committed against children via social media are most definitely on the rise.

"Children are enticed or blackmailed into sharing explicit photos of themselves or engaging in suggestive chats. These children do not realise that the stranger on the other side is in fact an adult," she says.

Marx stresses the importance of protecting children against such incidents and says it is extremely important for children to report these incidents to their parents so that the necessary steps can be taken against these types of offenders. "It is also very important that children do not communicate with anyone on any social media platform if they do not know who that person is," she says.

Avoid becoming a victim

Children should:

Make all their social media profiles private - this can be done in the settings option.
Accept and follow only friends they know.
Never provide any personal information.
Be vigilant when posting and sharing photos of themselves. No matter how innocent the photo seems, there is always a chance that these perpetrators can edit and manipulate the photos.
Remember, once a photo has been sent, it is available on the internet forever and you have no control over who owns or misuses it.
Before you post anything, ask yourself whether you would want your future employer, friends or family to see what you are posting.
It is very important that parents maintain a relationship of trust with their children when it comes to using social media platforms. The child must know that the parent cares and would not punish them.

Get involved

You can do your part for CPW by spreading the word and creating awareness about the issue of child abuse and protecting our children against the ills of society.

Wear a green ribbon for awareness.
Start conversations about protecting children.
Support a child protection NGO or charity by either volunteering or contribu-ting financially.
Share social media posts to help spread the word, engage and educate those around you to understand that everyone has a part to play in keeping our children and young people safe.

Where to get help

The Department of Social Development has a pilot 24-hour call centre dedicated to provide support and counselling to victims of gender-based violence.

To speak to a social worker for assistance with counselling, the toll free number 0800 428 428 can be used nationally.

Callers can also request a social worker from the command centre to contact them by dialling *120*7867# from any cellphone.

You can also get help at: