by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
In its global campaign ‘End Violence against Children Initiative’, UNICEF has launched a new campaign initiative ‘ReplyForAll’ as a new campaign drive to advocate about violence online and to help young children and adolescents.
With expanding digital technology and access to internet, many young children have become victims of online violence. While some have spoken out about the violence they witness, many still remain silent and do not report the problem.
In a survey conducted by UNICEF on more than 10,000 18-year-olds from 25 countries, “eight out of ten 18-year-olds believe that young people are in danger of being sexually abused or taken advantaged of online, and more than five out of the 10 think friends participate in risky behaviours while using the Internet”.
The survey further identified that globally, one in three Internet users is a child. Based on this figures, UNICEF has launched this initiative to advocate more on violence online especially the children that access and use the internet.
With this new initiative, the children will get engaged online and advocate about violence online. Each will provide and share their stories and provide best ways one can use when becoming a victim online. It will also allow the children to advocate among their friends on social media.
UNICEF together with support by WePROTECT Global Alliance has called on the national governments to work together with the criminal justice systems and the child welfare, health, education and the ICT sector to establish responses that could help to better protect children from online violence.
