The Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) on Wednesday urged parents to take action to keep children safe online as the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased use of the Internet.
Cases of the sexual exploitation of children and young adults appear to be on the rise, the TFCF said in a statement.
Between 2017 and last year, about 4,800 children and young adults were victims in such cases, it said, citing Ministry of Health and Welfare data.
Photo: Hung Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
Last year, 71.8 percent of cases of child and youth sexual exploitation were committed through the Internet, the TFCF said, citing ministry data.
From May 28 to June 10, the TFCF conducted an online survey regarding childcare during the pandemic, with responses collected from 2,323 parents of children under the age of 18, it said.
The survey showed that 92.1 percent of parents of elementary-school students said that the hours their child spent on the Internet each day increased while in-person instruction was suspended, the TFCF said.
Many popular social media platforms were not designed for use by children, many of whom sign up for accounts despite age restrictions, it said, adding that this puts children at risk.
Although elementary-school students comprised about 12 percent of victims in child and youth sexual exploitation cases between 2017 and last year, the increase in such crimes was also highest in cases where the victims were elementary-school students, the TFCF said.
Parents and children must be aware of the hidden dangers of the Internet, it said.
Parents should reach out to children about their habits related to Internet usage, TFCF Social Resources Department director Lin Hsiu-feng (林秀鳳) said.
They should also discuss Internet safety issues with their children and teach them rules to follow when using the Internet, she said.
The TFCF outlined five measures for parents to follow. They include discussing with children the hidden risks online, arranging agreements with children on their Internet usage, trusting and respecting children, understanding their preferences and being their friends, and turning on security settings to protect them.
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