Parents need to protect children when online, says Lamprecht
Head of Advocacy at Women and Men Against Child Abuse, Luke Lamprecht, says it is important to make parents aware of the risks of sexual exploitation of minors on the internet.
A 2020 study by UNICEF shows that more than 95% of children in South Africa have access to the internet.
The access leaves them exposed to violence, exploitation and abuse.
The study revealed that keeping minors safe on the internet relies on parents maintaining open communication, using technology to protect children, spending time with them online and encouraging healthy online habits.
Speaking to Jacaranda FM on Friday, Lamprecht said parents need to install security on their children's phones, as they do to protect their homes.
"We need to be making parents aware of the dangers and we need to say to parents they need to have security on their children's phones in the same way they security around their homes. As much as you are protecting your home from people coming to harm you and your children, there are people online who might harm your children.
"When you have security on your child's phone, then you can get alerts whenever your child engages, for example, websites with sexual content.
"Young people will always be exposed to bad things online because pornography is not only accessible but inevitable. If we do not provide good healthy spectrum mitigation, then our children will not have an alternative script for sexuality, and we need to be afraid of what that will do to their sexual health."
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