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- Children are currently at a higher risk than before of falling prey to predators who use the internet to target and groom them.
- Children as young as five years old are targeted.
- Parents need to monitor their children's online activity and talk to them about the dangers of the internet from a young age.
- For more, visit the tech and trends homepage.
In recent years, cybercrimes against children have become increasingly prevalent.
With more children accessing the internet than ever before, they are at a higher risk of falling prey to predators who use the internet to target and groom them.
The research group leader for cybersecurity systems at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Billy Petzer, reveals the types of cybercrimes that children are often targeted for.
"Some common cybercrimes against children include things like cyber extortion, where predators try to get children to divulge information which can be used to steal money," he says.
"But there's also something much more sinister when it comes to grooming children online. This could include predators either sending explicit photos to children or getting them to send explicit or private photos of themselves."
He adds that there are a lot of malicious people online, who pretend to be children, to try and chat to children on certain forums and platforms - such as online gaming chat apps and social media.
"Some people also get off on sending extremely rude and explicit text messages to children," he says.
"Children as young as five years old are targeted, because these kids are often online either playing games or watching videos. The age range goes all the way up to teenagers."
Social media number one risk
Many children and teenagers are very active on social media - and Petzer says that this is the number one way that predators get to them.
"Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp - all of these social media platforms - are being used by predators to identify children and engage with them, ultimately grooming them towards more sinister engagements," he says.
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Unfortunately, many parents are unaware of the risks their children face online. They may not be monitoring their children's online activity or talking to them about the dangers of the internet.
"I think technology is being used by many parents as a kind of babysitter; it feels like a nice thing to give your kids an iPad and let them play around and do their thing just to get some space from them," he says.
Petzer adds:
What should parents do?
As a parent, you should consider what you are allowing your child to access on the internet and think about why you believe they need access to it.
"Children that are young typically don't need to be on social media and, on all of these sites, remember, there are many people out there who exploit seemingly innocent websites and platforms," Petzer says.
Wherever you can, always enable age locks on internet devices. There's also software you can install on your/your child's computer that will assist in monitoring their activity and in blocking certain websites.
Parents should also be aware of the warning signs of grooming, such as secretive behaviour, mood swings and unexplained gifts or money.
The importance of education
Petzer says teaching your child about online safety in today’s age is as important as the typical physical safety tools parents often teach - like the rules of the road, not talking to strangers and so on.
"Children should be taught from a very young age about cyber security and the dangers that exist for them online," he says.
Moreover, it's also important for parents to consider what they are sharing about their children online.
"There are paedophiles and bad actors who go onto parent pages on social media to specifically look for pictures of children, and they collect them for their own malicious intentions," he says.
"This is something for parents to keep in mind whenever they put an image of their child online."
