London, Europe Brief News – 2021 has witnessed an unprecedented record rise in online child sexual abuse, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) revealed.
The organisation, which finds and removes abuse content from the internet, is calling for more support for parents to help spot online dangers.
The London-based organisation has investigation 361,000 suspected criminal material over the past year.
The IWF said this record rise is linked to Covid-19 lockdowns where more people, particularly schoolchildren, spending more time online.
“Children are being targeted, approached, groomed and abused by criminals on an industrial scale,” said Susie Hargreaves, Chief Executive of the IWF.
“So often, this sexual abuse is happening in children’s bedrooms in family homes. However, parents are unaware of what is going on between their children and strangers with an internet connection”.
How to protect children against online sexual abuse
We are living through a very difficult time and it’s easy to feel despairing. To help yourself feel better, one thing that works well is to focus on what you feel grateful for. A joyful moment with a child, a beautiful day, the presence of loved ones. When we practice gratitude, when we think about the things for which we are thankful, it almost always boosts our sense of well-being.
Experiencing a wide range of emotions, including uncomfortable feelings, is an important part of being human. You should not feel ashamed if you experience sadness, anger, frustration or any other feeling that can be sometimes painful. When we have uncomfortable emotions, the healthiest thing we can do is to talk about what we’re feeling with the people that we love. Doing so is actually how we protect our mental health.
Nothing protects a child’s mental health like having a warm and loving relationship with adults. So anything you do where your child is having fun and you’re having fun with your child is good for your kid. So that might be playing together, kicking a ball back and forth together. But it can also be things like cooking dinner together or fixing something around the house. As long as you’re having fun and your child is having fun, it’s good for your child’s mental health.
