Children Must Be Protected From Online Risks – CPFSA

With the massive spike in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to interact, maintain family contacts, participate in online school and play games, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, parents and guardians are being encouraged to protect children from online perils.

Regional Director for the Western Region with the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Eric Vassell, emphasises that parents and guardians must be vigilant in monitoring children’s online activities.

Some of the negative effects of online usage include cyberbullying; sexual grooming; exposure to inappropriate and indecent content, such as pornography; exposure to phishing, viruses and other security threats disguised as advertising.

Parents can use controls and Internet filtering tools to select the content their children are able to access and restrict or block browsers.

Special emphasis is being placed on children, as the nation celebrates Child Month in May, under the theme ‘I Strive to Overcome Adversities with Resilience (ISOAR)’.

Mr. Vassell tells JIS News that children should be taught not to share personal information and to limit how much information they share online.

“Monitor the Internet use to ensure that their usage is age appropriate. They shouldn’t use the Internet to invite friends over without proper permission and supervision,” he says.

He encourages parents and guardians to be positive role models in the lives of their children and communicate frequently with them about the negative and positive effects of the Internet.

“Be a positive role model in the life of your child. Don’t allow the Internet to take over all the waking hours of our children so that we do not have any influence at all in their lives,” Mr. Vassell adds.

He points out that rules and regulations should be established to ensure the safety of children at all times.

Mr. Vassell notes that while some children are engaging in online lessons, parents and guardians should make appropriate arrangements to ensure the children’s safety at all times, particularly if the adult caregivers have to be at work physically.

He says the CPFSA understands the many responsibilities and demands placed on parents during this time.

“We know that for most parents it is a challenge to manage work and the obligation of caring for children. Juggling the responsibility now is a huge challenge but we encourage parents to seek help. Probably they might have a neighbour, friend or somebody who could stay with the child and provide the supervision while they go to work,” Mr. Vassell suggests.

He says parents could seek help from family members and engage in discussions with their employers to determine whether arrangements can be made for the proper supervision of their children.

“We have, at the Family Court in St. James and I have seen this also in Hanover, where the Family Court has created a space for children of employees. They have a caregiver there that looks after the children and provides supervision while engaging them at the same time with educational activities. So, those kinds of arrangements, once they can be made, are encouraged,” he shares.

The Regional Director says it cannot be overemphasised that, at all times, parents and guardians should ensure that their children are properly supervised.

“A lot of mishaps can take place when children are left unsupervised, and the Agency’s standpoint is that it is something that we advocate for, that no child should be left unattended or unsupervised at any time at all. It is a dangerous practice and this practice needs to be stopped,” he declares.

He points out that it is paramount that parents and guardians maintain a nurturing and safe environment for children, so that they can develop confidence, be motivated and focused on achieving their full potential.

“Just like adults, children need to feel safe in their environment; wherever their environment is, they need to feel safe and secure – that’s how you build their confidence and their self-esteem. They thrive in environments where they are safe, where they feel secure. So, it is very important that we do everything as parents, guardians, adults and caregivers to ensure that our children grow up in a healthy and safe environment,” Mr. Vassell says.

He encourages parents and guardians to build strong relationships with their children, so they will be able to identify and treat with signs and symptoms of stress or anxiety affecting the minors generally, but particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the symptoms or signs of stress or anxiety in children are change in eating and/or sleeping patterns; persistent headaches; and regression in schoolwork or developmental milestones.

“We have to be keen observers to see what is happening to our children, to see if they were lively and extroverted and all of a sudden, they become introverts. They don’t want to socialise, they don’t want to talk or eat. Whatever habits we pick up along the way, we should mark them because they could be signs and symptoms that our children may be going through stress, trauma or depression,” Mr. Vassell tells JIS News.

Having identified the signs, he notes that there are several mechanisms that can be applied to help children to cope.

Some of the stress or anxiety management mechanisms include talking things out, listening to the views and opinions of the child or children, establishing or making time for fun activities and reaffirming their worth.

“As parents, spend quality time with your child or children.  That’s how you build bonds, that’s how you build relationships, that’s how you build strong families. Pray, have devotions, include the spiritual aspect of life, not only the social and the physical but also include the spiritual aspect,” Mr. Vassell says.

He asserts that parents should help to build their child’s self-esteem, confidence and self-worth by encouraging them, showing them affection and love.

“Have open and free communication, set boundaries, and discipline with love. A lot of times you see parents physically abusing their child and at the same time they are mentally and emotionally abusing their child,” he says, adding that parents should speak and encourage positivity in the lives of their children.

He tells JIS News that if all these approaches have been tried and there is still an issue, then the parent should seek outside assistance.  

“There are a number of agencies, including the CPFSA, located in every parish across the island. We have trained counsellors and psychologists who are able to provide counselling and guidance to both children and parents,” Mr. Vassell says.

He adds that adults may also seek intervention from a pastor, a trusted friend, or someone who can provide counselling intervention.

Mr. Vassell urges parents to be proactive in the decisions they make and not to wait too long to seek the intervention needed for their children.

“I will also encourage that we do not only wait until we can’t manage to take in the child [for counselling], but take proactive decisions, and in parallel with what you are doing, get outside help, as well, so that your child can be one of the first out of the box to settle down, get engaged and become worthwhile and meaningful adults and take their place in the society,” he says.

Mr. Vassell adds that the CPFSA stands ready to continue the partnerships with all stakeholders and families.

“We will work with them…so that no child is left behind and all children are given equal and fair opportunities to thrive, excel and achieve,” he says.