Adopt parental control software to ensure cyber safety of children - Cybersecurity experts

Speakers at the fourth edition of the "Thriving Child Seminar Series" have advocated for the use of parental control software to monitor and restrict children's activities on the internet.

The speakers further called for collaboration between parents, educators, policymakers, Civil Society Organisations and tech companies to create a secure online world for children's growth and exploration.

These and other factors they said would provide safe and thriving online environment that would promote the holistic development of children and youth in the country.

Executive Director, Child Online Africa, Awo Aidam Amenya and Manager of IT Support, Compassion International Ghana, Fidel Botchwey were speaking at the seminar organised by the Compassion International Ghana (CIGH) on Monday, July 15, where they also encouraged parents to stay involved in children’s online activities and establish trust so that their children will feel comfortable reporting issues.

Theme 

Speaking on the theme "Safety in the Cyber Space: A Focus on Children", the two cybersecurity experts admonished parents to stay informed about the latest cyber threats and safe practices to guide their children effectively.

"Cyberbullying is real. We all contribute  to it as parents and society. We don't pay attention to it but it is serious and it affects the way our children think," said Fidel Botchwey.

"Parental control is mostly needed in all of this. There are very healthy apps that children can access and we can use these apps to solve cyberbullying in children. this can help save children from potential threats," he said.

Mr Botchwey also explained that children are often subjected to harassment, threats, and intimidation online, leading to severe psychological consequences saying parents needed to position themselves to better understand cyber security issues. 

"If we can solve the problems related to cyberbullying among children as parents, communities, schools and churches, the nation's issues with cyberbullying of children will be solved to a large extent. If we can address the risky issues with children online, then we can tackle most of the threats on the internet."

Nature of threat

For her part, Awo Aidam Amenya explained that abuse of children on the inernet ranged from adults often engaging in grooming, where they build trust with the child to manipulate them.

She also mentioned bullying through social media platforms, using children’s personal information for fraudulent activities and coercing children into sending explicit images or engaging in sexual acts as major threats to children online.

"We can't say that because of the risk children encounter online, we cannot allow them access the internet. Rather, we should build social skills for them and the first among them is empathy. We have to consider the contents we present to children and how they react to those contents," she said.

"Let's be intentional and make sure that there is everything we need to ensure that children turn  out to be what we intend them to be. Children consume many things on the internet without our knowledge and then they start behaving in different ways.

Impact of threat

She also noted that cyberbullying among children usually led to Psychological and emotional trauma for the victims, reputational damage, erosion of trust in digital technologies as well as hindering Ghana's efforts to building a secure digital ecosystem and thriving digital economy.

"Grooming is the foundation for every online abuse but unfortunately we are not there on the internet and our children get groomed by other people and then they start behaving in different ways," she said.

"The whole thing boils down to social skills. If we are able to socialise these children well, they will know how to handle some of these digital bullies."

Opportunities

Senior Manager for Partnership, CIGH, Edward Nyamekye who spoke on behalf of the National Director, Kobina Yeboah Okyere, said the internet had become an integral part of children's lives offering unprecedented opportunities for learning, creativity and connection.

He however, added that the opportunities came with significant risks and challenges which needed to be curtailed.

 
"Our theme today 'Safety in the Cyber Security Space: A Focus on Children' highlights the urgency and importance of addressing these issues. It is our collective responsibility to create a safe and secure online environment for our children, where they can explore, learn and grow without fear," he said.

"Together, we can build a comprehensive and collaborative approach to cyber safety that prioritizes the well being of our children. I believe that through today's seminar, we will identify our roles as parents, educators, stakeholders and child advocates in fostering a secure environment," he said.

Compassion International

The Compassion International Ghana is a christian charity organisation dedicated to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. 

Through sponsorships and donations, they empower local churches to provide individualized and holistic care to children in poverty so they are free to learn, grow, play and dream.

This is the fourth edition of the Thriving Child Seminar Series put together by the CIGH. The previous three events were on the theme “Policy Framework on Children: The Law and Practice”, “Child Development Milestones and Holism” respectively and “The Juvenile Justice System in Ghana-Current Realities and Needed Reforms”.

The central focus of this initiative is to empower staff of the CIGH and other caregivers in the delivery of their duties.