The Women and Children’s Ministry is facing a growing challenge with children mimicking harmful behaviors they see online, particularly due to the availability of pornography and violence. Minister Sashi Kiran highlighted that these influences are particularly pronounced in overcrowded communities and informal settlements, where children are increasingly experimenting with such explicit content on their peers.
Kiran critiqued the current approach to the issue, describing it as mostly reactive: “We are now collecting everybody at the bottom of the cliff,” indicating that by the time interventions take place, significant harm has already occurred. She stressed the critical need to bolster family and community structures to shield children from these damaging exposures.
Kiran urged that all family members must remain vigilant, noting that parents and guardians should be able to detect any abnormal behavior that might signal distress or exposure to inappropriate content. “You’ll be able to see the signs if you see that the child is not acting normal,” she advised.
To tackle the root of the problem, the ministry is collaborating with various agencies, including the recently established Online Safety Commission and the Pornography Task Force. This effort aims to enhance regulations and practices to oversee illegal content more effectively, particularly in the realms of child exploitation.
The government has ratified the Budapest Convention and is working closely with telecommunications and internet service providers to expedite the removal of harmful content. Kiran expressed confidence in the online commission’s ability to enhance awareness and training, both for children and their families, to create a safer environment.
This initiative is promising as it represents a multi-faceted approach to a serious issue, combining preventive measures, community engagement, and legislative action to protect children from the pervasive threats in online spaces. Strengthening the bonds within families and communities may indeed foster a safer, more supportive atmosphere for children to grow up in, steering them away from negative influences online.
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