Protect Your Children Online
“Let us reach out to the children. Let us do whatever we can to support their fight to rise above their pain and suffering.” Nelson Mandela
In a recent article, “How safe are our children on the internet”, I discussed how vulnerable our children can be online and the dangers that are behind their screens. In a world where there is persecution around every corner, with predatory trolls lurking in the shadows, we now have to contend with perpetrators following and interacting with our children on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
I recently watched a video, posted by Lighthouse Global, of an interview with Amala Ekpunobi, the host of Prager University’s show “Unapologetic with Amala,” where she inspires millions of young people every day to discover the truth, defend their values, and lead better lives. She shares in the video below how she has found hundreds of modelling accounts for children on Instagram, and these are being liked and followed openly and almost exclusively by grown men. This video, I believe, is frightening when I think about the risk it poses for children online; it is a must-watch.
I have read about young girls who have been killed after meeting their so-called boyfriend they met online, who turned out to be a sexual predator taking advantage of their naivety. This happens because there is not enough security and protection for our children online. There have been accounts of people pretending to be young girls and encouraging boys they meet online to share incriminating photos of themselves, then they are blackmailed for lots of money. Because they can’t pay, or they get blackmailed for more money, they are unable to take it, and eventually take their own lives.
We expect our children to be safe in their own homes, in their own rooms, but that is no longer the case with the access technology has given to those scouring the web for vulnerable targets. Paul S. Waugh, head mentor at Lighthouse and the rest of the team are now in the process of building a groundswell of people in order to work together to prevent this from happening to our children. Paul is aware of the dangerous consequences, as a very good friend of his lost their daughter to suicide at the age of 11 due to online bullying.
Here is the full video of Amala Ekpunobi
Because of the continual threat of online abuse towards our children, we have created a platform, Parents Against Trolls, a safe place where parents can be educated on how to protect their children. If you would like to learn more about how to get involved, or if there is anything in this report or the video that you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact us and one of our team will be more than happy to help.
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