Ontario COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Task Force member resigns over travel
Mississauga and the rest of Peel ask to be first in line for next shipments of COVID vaccine
Donation from former Mississauga mayoral candidate and teacher puts controversial Tory MP on the hot seat
Province completes vaccinations of long-term care facilities ahead of schedule
Here's what's coming to Netflix Canada in February 2021
COVID-19 sparks rise in online child predators, says UNICEF chief
by The Canadian Press on April 8, 2020
The COVID-19 outbreak has sparked an increase in online child sexual predators that organizations, governments, and parents need to take more seriously, says the head of the United Nations children's agency.
"We've got a couple of worrying signs, which is that the online predators are really -- they're multiplying," Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's executive director, said in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press this week.
With half the planet's children now out of school because of the pandemic, Fore said that has created new risks for kids who are now spending more time on the internet.
"Because children are online more, they are vulnerable. And often they haven't been taught about how to think about being online, how to have a video chat and what you do and do not do," she said.
"There's a lot of grooming, a lot of sexting, a lot of trafficking."
UNICEF, she said, is talking with internet companies because there is a lot they can do to combat the problem.
"We're also talking to governments about what they can do. Can we take down sites? Can we screen with artificial intelligence on the videos?" she said.
Fore also called on governments to ban certain websites that are clearly being used by predators.
"But we also need to make sure we're getting good education out to our young people. They need to be able to protect themselves."
Fore encouraged parents to direct their children to UNICEF's interactive U-Report website -- https://oneyouth.unicef.ca/en/u-report -- which is free and confidential for young people aged 13 and up.
Fore said it is a work in progress keeping up on new online platforms that enable children and adults to talk in groups. She did not provide specific examples of new websites or services but made clear: "We're looking at them, we're assessing them, we're talking to each and every one of the companies.
"We just hope that everyone realizes they have a responsibility for the children of this world, and it is to keep them safe and get them educated at the same time."
The new online threats are also being compounded by the rising instances of physical and sexual abuse that some children are now exposed to within their own homes because of shuttered schools and social distancing, said Fore.
"Children used to go to school to get away from it. But now they're at home. The number of calls we are getting, the number of pleas we are getting are increasing from children at home."
The forced work-at-home environment is also hurting children, she said, and Fore put the onus squarely on employers to not allow that to happen.
UNICEF has now transformed itself to an international telework operation and Fore has told her staff that they are parents first, then teachers, then UNICEF employees -- in that order.
"Many of us are working so hard, we have to have employers who understand this is a trying time. So, you may not get that report in on time because you simply have to talk to your child."
Before she was forced to work at home, Fore was in Syria last month along with her counterpart from the UN World Food Program. She and David Beasley visited Idlib, one of the last remaining rebel areas, and held meetings with Syrian government officials, including Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.
They were trying to open more access and supply routes to get aid to the war-ravaged Syrian people.
Fore said the COVID-19 crisis is going to get worse in the world's most destitute places, including throughout Africa, and it is in the interest of developing countries such as Canada to contribute to international efforts to fight it.
"This COVID-19 hasn't really hit full strength there yet. But it's coming, and they're going to need help much more than us. It, in turn, will bring a second wave to us in the fall if we don't help them early on."
Fore also praised Canada's efforts as a leader in helping young girls and women in the developing world, including getting more of them into schools.
As well, Fore made a direct appeal to Canadians to support UNICEF's efforts to help children in poor countries who have no access to clean water, soap, and other basic sanitary conditions.
She urged Canadians to make donations at https://www.unicef.ca/en/what-we-do/coronavirus-covid-19.
Canada to help world's poor cope with COVID-19, amid UN appeal: aid minister
Many parents forced to adapt when it comes to getting their children to school
Study finds Ontario children have mixed feelings about learning from home
Many parents concerned about potential health risks of sending children back to school
More than 2 million Canadian children at risk of going to school hungry due to pandemic
Man reportedly threatening to shoot people in building in Mississauga: Police
Subway can press $210-million defamation suit against CBC for show on chicken content
Ontario, Peel Region show drop in COVID cases today, but technical issues may be the reason
Ontario ticket holder claims $1 million Maxmillion prize
Changes coming to garbage pickup this winter in Mississauga
Top 5 Places to Eat on a Budget in Mississauga
Leela's Roti Doubles
Dixie Park
Banh Mi Store 3
Bamboo Legend
Karachi Kitchen - Dixie
View all top 5
Recent Top 5
5 unbuilt projects that could have changed...
Top 5 Chicken on the Rocks in Mississauga
Five fun things to do this weekend that are...
Top 5 chicken sandwiches in Mississauga
5 fun ways to make the most out of your...
A new BBQ restaurant just opened up in Mississauga
The food scene in Mississauga is always evolving so foodies might be happy to hear that a new Pakistani and Indian restaurant is now open here in the city.
Should workplaces with COVID-19 outbreaks be made public?
Yes, we should know
No, we don't need to know
insauga
Top 5 and Article Policy
Copyright © 2021. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License or any later version. Comments and entries represent the viewpoints of the individual and no one else.