Problem Solving
There are different solutions to this problem, but the most efficient one starts with the family. If morals and values are given to children then they will know what it is good for them to watch, what to ignore and what to approach when they have the age and maturity to handle it.
WeProtect:
WeProtect" Is an organization that has set out to end child sexual exploitation online and aims to bring governments and people together to create a safer internet for our children.
On their website they said "WeProtect Global Alliance brings together governments, the private sector, civil society, and international organisations to develop policies and solutions to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse online "
Organizations like these make this issue seem manageable especially when the organization is not only looking at educating the people but making sure various governments provide adequate laws to protect minors.
Parental Guidance:
Parents are often the ones who will eventually end up having the biggest impact on their children and a big part of taking care of them now is educating them on right from wrong on the internet. Especially as they grow up providing them the understanding that what they put out on the internet can be seen by future employers, schools, and classmates is important to make sure their "digital footprint" is clean and they don't have to worry about a mistake they made a very early point in their lives haunting them later in life. The Department of Justice put together a list of tips for teachers, and parents to use with children to prevent these things from happening:
Discuss internet safety and develop an online safety plan with children before they engage in online activity. Establish clear guidelines, teach children to spot red flags, and encourage children to have open communication with you.
Supervise young children’s use of the internet, including periodically checking their profiles and posts. Keep electronic devices in open, common areas of the home and consider setting time limits for their use.
Review games, apps, and social media sites before they are downloaded or used by children. Pay particular attention to apps and sites that feature end-to-end encryption, direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, which are frequently relied upon by online child predators.
Adjust privacy settings and use parental controls for online games, apps, social medial sites, and electronic devices.
Tell children to avoid sharing personal information, photos, and videos online in public forums or with people they do not know in real life. Explain to your children that images posted online will be permanently on the internet.
Teach children about body safety and boundaries, including the importance of saying ‘no’ to inappropriate requests both in the physical world and the virtual world.
Be alert to potential signs of abuse, including changes in children’s use of electronic devices, attempts to conceal online activity, withdrawn behavior, angry outbursts, anxiety, and depression.
Encourage children to tell a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult if anyone asks them to engage in sexual activity or other inappropriate behavior.
Immediately report suspected online enticement or sexual exploitation of a child by calling 911, contacting the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, or filing a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org.
When a child is first exposed to the internet its extremely important to understand their perspectives when they may make a mistake or go about something the wrong way. Below is a video that provides a basic insight as to how a child might view certain things and easily make a mistake and gives information on how to get ahead of these issues to prevent them and have a healthy communication with a child.
For the future, organizations with a goal to provide a safer internet for our children to minimize harmful events and trauma which hold more than one group of people accountable will be a major can lead to real change in this issue. As well as parents properly educating and looking out for their children by properly educating them and providing them an understanding of what a healthy use of the internet looks like at that age while still providing the proper building blocks for growth and responsibility.