Easy access to social media, pornography causing social problems among children

KUALA LUMPUR - Easy access to social media especially sexual contents is one of the reasons causing social problems among children nowadays.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said this happens because children easily get access to negative things, especially pornographic content contained in social media.

"Children (in their nature) want to explore something. They look at people having sex so they want to do it because access (to pornography) is too easy and they are exposed to a lot of negative things," he said.

He said this after attending the International Regulatory Conference titled 'Significance of Effective Policy, Regulatory, and Technological Solutions for a Safer Online Space' as a panellist here today.

Citing a nine-year-old girl involved in gang rape, he said this case was among online sexual exploitation.

"The incident happened last year and, for this case, we opened an investigation paper because this is a new trend in the new generation. Based on our investigation, the girl consented to it (gang rape) as she wanted to repay a debt,” he said.

He said the girl had apparently broken an eraser she borrowed from a classmate and wanted to be responsible by consenting to sex as a means of compensation after she did not have enough money to buy a new one.

"She needed to pay for the broken eraser lent from a friend, but she did not have money to buy one. Instead, she offered her body as a means to compensate,” he said.

Shuhaily said aside from bringing down pornography, the police are also responsible in preventing the spread of sexual contents.

"Platform providers and regulators have a big task and responsibility to ensure that this kind of sensitive content not only concerns sexual matters but others,” he said.

During discussion sessions, Chief of Child Protection UNICEF Malaysia Saskia Blume said around four per cent of children, equivalent to 100,000 children aged 12 to 17 years old in Malaysia, have been subjected to online sexual exploitation.

"We really see skyrocketing cases such as being blackmailed, engaging in sexual activities, and essentially sharing images without permission or being coerced to engage in sexual activities for promises,” she said.

She shared that UNICEF conducted a research on youths on what was their hope on this issue.

"Three main complaints from young people: the first is safety by design and child-centred features, followed by very concrete demands and ideas. Second, digital literacy as well as for parents, carers, and teachers, and lastly, child-friendly reporting mechanisms,” she said.

Meanwhile, CelcomDigi Chief Executive Officer Datuk Idham Nawawi said 2023 was the most extreme year of child sexual abuse online.

"I think, because a lot of what happens today no longer happens on the ground as a means in the streets, hotel rooms but this happens in their bedrooms because all of us have access to the technology platform,” he said, adding that it is important for all parties to work together to prevent this issue.

Director of ICT Policy Department, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Cambodia Sodany Tan said her country has their own child online protection guidelines that are developed, monitored, implemented, and evaluated to ensure that businesses comply with their obligations to prevent their networks or online services from being used in ways that cause or contribute to violations or abuses of children's rights. - BERNAMA