AMECEA: Social Communications and Pastoral Coordinators resolve to work together in Safeguarding Children from Online Abuse
Participants of AMECEA Workshop on Child Protection against Online Abuse, Exploitation and Radicalization
National Social Communications and Pastoral Coordinators from AMECEA countries have resolved to work together to raise awareness regarding the risks in the digital world, especially with respect to primary prevention and safeguarding of children and young people against online abuse, exploitation and radicalization.
The resolution follows a workshop conducted by AMECEA Social Communications Department to National Pastoral and Communications Coordinators from the AMECEA Region as a response to the need to safeguard children against the threats posed by new media technologies and the internet, such as cyber-bullying and intimidation, pornographic and child sexual abuse images proliferating online; and online grooming towards extremism and radicalism.
The workshop on safeguarding children and young people from online abuse, exploitation and radicalization in AMECEA Region was held in Nairobi between 19th and 23rd November and was based on the action plan of the World Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World held in Rome, on October 6th 2017; which recognized the need for global dialogue and comprehensive action towards addressing the problem.
The AMECEA forum identified the following gaps as risk factors that ought to be addressed in the context of child protection and safeguarding from online abuse and exploitation: lack of awareness on the danger of internet use among many children, young people and the general public; the Church in the region being in denial about the reality of child abuse cases happening; this is owing to the fact that no research on child abuse cases have been conducted in any of the AMECEA countries and that what comes out are occasional media reports.
Other gaps identified include lack of proper formation for Pontifical Missionary Society (PMS) animators on the same; lack of ICT Policies regarding protection and safeguarding of children against online abuse and exploitation; lack of awareness regarding Government regulations on internet content and lack of proper Church and Government structures to handle issues of child abuse among others.
The participants resolved to work on awareness creation through use of mass media, seminars and workshops, local activism, lobbying for the incorporation of policies regarding child protection in school syllabi starting with the Catholic institutions and possibility of bringing the discussion to Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and other church fora such as lay apostolates.
The workshop was made successful through the support of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB who partially funded the project.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
