In the context of digital technology, children have the opportunity to interact with social networking sites from a very early age. Aside from benefits, social networks can pose risks for young children, especially online sexual abuse. Over recent years, Da Nang’s functional departments have been making efforts to protect children from social media risks and ensure their internet safety.

Many children and teenagers are provided with related skills and knowledge in schools in order to protect themselves from online sexual abuse. (This illustration photo taken by NGOC DOAN)

Being vigilant to child sexual abuse

Given the relatively recent events in terms of COVID-19 and lockdown situation worldwide, e-learning has become increasingly important as one of the optimal solutions for education. As a result, virtual learning method has been recently applied in most of schools, universities and junior colleges across Da Nang amid the COVID-19 surge.

To maintain her son’s online learning during the ongoing the 2021 - 2022 school year amid the pandemic crisis, Mrs Do Thi Hai, residing in Hai Chau District’s Hoa Cuong Bac Ward, has to buy her son a smartphone for online classes. However, Mrs Hai always reminds her son to only use phone for studying, and bans him from using smartphone to talk to strangers or visit malicious websites.

According to Mrs. Hai, in addition to family’s advice, her son has been taught about the harmful effects of social networks, especially sexual abuse, in school so he always refuses to make friends with strangers or deletes bad links sent from strangers.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Tu Anh, Headmaster of the Tay Son Secondary School, said that since 2018, an array of extra-curricular classes about child sexual abuse in the online environment have been organised in his school, aimed at making them aware of the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse, thereby protecting themselves from sexual assault.

“Besides, the school has established a counseling group to support those who are unfortunately the victim of sexual harassment and sexual assault” added Mr Anh.

In some senior high schools, students are also equipped with knowledge to prevent the risk of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

NTT, a pupil of the Ton That Tung Senior High School in Son Tra District, said her school teachers repeatedly disseminated knowledge and taught skills to prevent harmful effects, especially manipulative behaviors about sexual abuse through the internet.

“In order to proactively protect ourselves from all forms of violence, especially sexual abuse on the internet, we should not post too many our stories, photos, and videos on social media, as well as not make friends or talk to people you don't know. Don’t be curious to visit websites with inappropriate content” advised she.

Educating children about useful knowledge and skills

The World Vision Viet Nam organisation carried out the “Protecting children against online sexual abuse” project in Da Nang from September 2018 to September 2021.

The VND16.5 billion project was implemented in 9 wards of Hai Chau, Son Tra and Cam Le districts, plus in 12 senior and junior high schools, in the city.

After 3 years of implementation, a combined total of 15,000 children, young people and teenagers, along with 8,000 parents, caregivers and teachers, citywide benefited much from the project. Specifically, they were provided with sexual abuse-related knowledge and skills, as well as had the opportunity to access child-friendly social services in terms of internet security.

Mr. Ngo Ngoc Hoang Vuong from the Da Nang Department of Education and Training highlighted the significance of the project in providing local children and young people with sexual abuse-related knowledge and self-protection skills on the internet, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Tran Cong Nguyen, statistics released in 2018 show that, Da Nang had about 233,000 children under 16 years old, of which about 60% of primary school pupils and 90% of high school pupils created social media accounts.

In recent years, his Department has actively coordinated with other relevant agencies to educate children and young people citywide about the risks of online child sexual abuse in order to ensure their internet safety.

In the time to come, the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will propose World Vision in Viet Nam to continue to implement child protection-related projects in the city.

Reporting by NGOC DOAN - Translating by M.DUNG