SHAH ALAM - A multi-tiered approach involving parents, schools, digital communities, and law enforcement is essential to ensure children's online safety.
Criminologist Shankar Durairaja said the ‘micro, meso and macro’ framework offered a comprehensive strategy to tackle child safety from all angles, with each level playing a distinct yet interconnected role in protecting children.
At the micro level, Shankar noted the importance of equipping both children and parents with digital literacy tailored to online safety.
"Digital literacy is not just about teaching children how to use social media or operate devices—they already excel at that.
"Instead, it’s about making them aware of the dangers, teaching them to recognise issues and guiding them on who to approach when faced with problems,” he said in an interview with Sinar Daily recently.
Parents, he added, must also embrace digital citizenship by improving their own digital literacy.
While he cautioned against aggressive control, he urged parents to monitor screen time, identify signs of addiction and address any arising issues.
At the meso level, schools and the broader digital community play a vital role in fostering online safety.
He called for schools to incorporate digital literacy into their curriculums.
"While there is some progress, a dedicated curriculum on online safety and digital literacy is still missing. Schools can also host awareness campaigns and special talks for students and parents alike,” he suggested.
He also highlighted the role of the digital community in identifying and reporting threats.
Citing the recent case of a predator operating under the alias ‘Abang Bas’ several months ago, Shankar praised the community’s vigilance.
"A few months back, we noticed issues about 'Abang Bas' who actually promoted paedophiles (content), so that is one of the positive sides of the digital community where people started to notice the red flag and raised the issue and law and enforcement took action," he said.
Asked about the government’s call for social media users to be limited to only those aged 13 and above, Shankar pointed out the challenges that could be faced if no proper mechanism were in place.
"We as the digital community need to monitor the kids, we need to understand that even though the government has limited the age of 13, the children can manipulate because it is just a system, they can manipulate the date of birth.
"Operators and the companies who are handling this kind of social media platforms they need to be responsible," he said.
At the macro level, Shankar said the government played a pivotal role in shaping policies and laws.
He stressed the importance of modernising legislation to keep pace with technological advancements.
"For years, we relied on the Computer Crimes Act, a law enacted over two decades ago, which is now outdated. The new cybersecurity law, currently in its second reading, is a step in the right direction.
"Nowadays everything is so fast, even the legislation, enforcement reaction, strategies, policing method, everything needs to be in a fast manner," Shankar said.