HANOI, Vietnam (PIA) — The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Voice Vietnam hosted a three-day workshop from October 3-5, titled “Enhancing Reporting Skills for Journalists in ASEAN Region on Child Safety Online,” to equip 30 journalists from ASEAN member states with the skills to address issues like cyberbullying, grooming, and online exploitation faced by children.
“Children are spending more time online than ever before. Growing up online offers opportunities, but it also comes with serious risks and harm that can negatively affect their mental and physical development,” said Ngo Minh Hien, Deputy General Director of Voice Vietnam, emphasizing the media’s crucial role in protecting children from online dangers.
He added that the workshop aims to create a strong community announcement service that can effectively promote positive social behavior and raise public awareness of these issues.
UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Nguyen Ngoc Anh addressed the reporters, highlighting the alarming statistics on online threats to children. “Every half a second, a child goes online for the first time. As children’s digital world expands, so do the dangers they experience online,” he said.
Nguyen warned that expanding children’s digital worlds brings risks like harmful content, cyberbullying, and grooming. He stressed the importance of acknowledging these dangers and acting together to protect children.
He noted that offenders are increasingly using technology to access child sexual abuse material and engage in grooming activities, exposing millions of children worldwide to online exploitation. In 2020, for instance, the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) processed over 32 million reports of child sexual abuse material, a number that continues to rise annually.
During the training, journalists also received a briefing on ethical considerations for reporting on child exploitation cases, emphasizing the importance of respecting the privacy and dignity of victims at all times.
For his part, Philip Victor, managing director of Welchman Keen, addressed key topics surrounding technology, cyber risks, and digital transformation.
“Technology has brought a lot of enhancements to our lives, made life easier, and all that, but unfortunately, it also comes with a lot of negativity sometimes if we do not use technology appropriately,” he said.
Victor also urged parents to remain vigilant about the risks of malicious software. He emphasized the importance of awareness, explaining that certain free software could covertly monitor personal data such as keystrokes and camera access.
“We need to make our kids understand the importance of online privacy, and we need to make them aware of how this privacy online, if not looked at, can lead to harmful things, which we call the risk,” Victor said.
Citing ways on how parents can support children in navigating the digital landscape, Yu Cheng of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific advised against overreacting to children’s online behavior, stressing the importance of understanding the apps and games children use.
“You don’t have to be an expert, but at least you have an awareness of what they are, so you could find out more about them when it comes into progress. And also install firewalls and antivirus software on all your devices,” she added.
The ASEAN Secretariat, the Ministry of Information and Communication of Vietnam, UNICEF Vietnam, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development are all supporting the workshop as part of a larger initiative to create a safer online environment for children.
Journalists from the Philippines attending the event included Recthie Paculba of the Philippine Information Agency, Cheryll Ayuste from the Presidential Broadcast Service, and Mavel Custodio representing the People’s Television Network. (RTP/PIA-10)
