A safer Internet: watch for red flags, child-protection group says

By Shelby Wye

BELLEVILLE – Safer Internet Day took place Tuesday, but safe Internet use should be a priority every single day, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection says.

Safer Internet Day began as an initiative by the European Union but now the 11-year-old tradition is a worldwide event. The Winnipeg-based Canadian Centre for Child Protection is the Canadian sponsor for the event. This year, the centre’s goal is to raise awareness of the online sexual exploitation of children and teens.

Noni Classen, the director of education at the centre, said kids shouldn’t be scared to use the Internet, but it’s important to teach them the red flags of dangerous online relationships and how to reach out to an adult when the situation gets bad.

“It’s easy for kids (to get involved in perilous online activity) because their brains are wired for social interaction and bonding with other people. Their drive for acceptance will drive them into these unsafe situations,” she said.

Even when kids do realize they are in a risky position or a dangerous relationship online, they often believe that they are to blame, Classen said. It’s important for parents and parental figures to learn how to handle these situations, she added.

“We as adults need to be savvy observers of kids to understand when they are distressed, and to look into that and communicate that it’s okay for kids to come forward if something goes wrong, and they are not to blame for that.”

She stresses the importance of parents, teachers and coaches having regular conversations about the Internet with children, and keeping in the know about what websites and applications children are using and what risks are involved in using them.

“As for risks online, we look at the contact that’s available to them to connect to other people; the content, as in the information that they are being exposed to that could be harmful; and we also look at their conduct, so we look at how potentially they are experimenting or engaging with technology,” said Classen.

It’s very hard to get kids to come forward when they have issues with something online, she said. A recent review by the centre found that over 90 per cent of online-child-luring cases were not reported by the child himself or herself. And for the few who did report the situation, 75 per cent had already been sexually exploited or abused by that time.

Young people also tend to stay silent in such cases because there is an online record of their activity that makes them feel even more guilty and ashamed, Classen said.

She recommends that parents and children look over the wealth of online resources that the centre provides. Cybertip.ca allows individuals to anonymously report any online sexual exploitation that someone comes across. KidsintheKnow.ca is a resource for teachers and parents to have materials to go over with children about sexual exploitation and how to shield themselves from getting into bad situations. NeedHelpNow.ca is for children or teens who have found themselves involved with an incident of exploitation and need help.