Alan interviews Mark Kavanagh, a child protection and sexual exploitation researcher based in Thailand. They talk about the risks of online child sexual abuse and the development of a training program for parents and young people regarding online safety for South-east Asian countries.
Young people face risks in many of the environments they live, work and play. As technology increasingly becomes involved, the associated risks need our careful attention.
Through technology, young people may be targeted by scams, experience bullying, or be exposed to sexual, racist, or other inappropriate content. They may encounter these risks through their searches, via social media, video, gaming or chat and communication platforms. The remarkably fast pace of technological development means the way young people are engaging with technology, and the types of risks they face are also shifting and changing fast. It’s important that we keep up in the way we look out for them.
In 2017, ChildFund Australia developedSwipe Safe– a tailor-made training package to skill up young people in developing countries to safely navigate their lives online.Swipe Safebalances the benefits of being online with awareness of possible risks. It facilitates learning by allowing the young people to use smart phones throughout all the sessions so they can practice the skills they need.
