Table of Contents
Existing public awareness campaigns aimed at keeping young people safe online
Online exploitation of children is real, and it is growing at an alarming rate (DeGarmo, 2014). Some measures have been put in place to promote public awareness of online abuse of young people and to protect them better online. However, more effort requires to be made to augment these efforts. Several public awareness campaigns seek to incorporate all-important stakeholders in children’s life, thus fostering safe internet use.
For instance, the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides a good public awareness program to educate young people especially teenage about internet security. NCMEC program provides multivalent approaches intended to reach to all young people and their caregivers, from law enforcement to educators to guardians and parents. NCMEC provides online coaching programs precisely designed for guardians, parents, and tutors that show them how to address online abuse of children in ways that empower children (DeGarmo, 2014). The training programs include resources introduced to children to prompt grade and age-appropriate education and discussion. The caregiver programs offer tools and tips for opening a productive and frank dialogue with children in a personalized and safe way. Caregivers are advised to place measures that keep children from an incitement through their friends. Educators can use disciplinary measures like anti-bullying and deferral methods that involve language that constitutes online provocation.
Another awareness program is the Federal Trade Commission Awareness campaign. The campaign imposed the Broadband Data enhancement Act into law in 2008. The law keeps young people from carrying out a Federal Trade commission campaign to improve public awareness about cyber bullying and safe use of the internet (Horowitz et al., 2014). The law requires kids to be taught about the proper use of internet and social media. The law imposes a penalty punishment on individuals who break the directions of Federal Trade Commission campaign through exploitation of children.
Lastly, Social Networking Safety Act is another campaign program aimed at keeping children safe from the internet. New Jersey State was the first country to address long-range intercommunication through proposing this campaign program (DeGarmo, 2014). Social Networking Safety Act required informal corporations to have symbols of reports for cyber harassment and improper substance. The act provides ways of exploring any cybercrime reports to make informed and proper actions.
Public awareness campaign and its significance
Public Awareness Campaign refers to a program that helps improve the understanding level of the public about the importance and consequences of young people safe online. Creation of public awareness involves informing the public about issues that arise from the internet use such as cyber bullying, and dispersing info to the public on the ways to address and prevent such issues (DeGarmo, 2014). High level of creation of public awareness arises when a public concurs that the safety of minors in the urban areas is a problem that is of excessive importance to all people. Low level of public awareness creation arises when a dominant segment of people do not know how to care about the safety of minors on the internet in the urban regions. Many ways of increasing public awareness about the safety of minors online exists. Public awareness creation can be possible through specific arranged daily paper articles, documentaries, sites, movies, publication crusades, occasions, work environments and in schools, or any freely accessible means.
Public awareness importance
Public awareness is important because children are made safe online especially when people in urban areas collaborate to eradicate affiliation among minors while online. Caregivers especially parents need to understand the problem concerning cyber bullying and how it can be reduced (Horowitz et al., 2014).
How my campaign is different from other campaigns
It is more hard and difficult to keep minors safe online today than it was some years back because of technological advancement. There are many new internet sites developed every day, which means that net safety must be expansive (Horowitz et al., 2014). It is absolute requirement to protect minors when using the internet, even though adults have their problems with internet-based social networking behaviors. This can be done using games and videos. Some games and videos provide information to minors on how to be careful while on the internet. Moreover, several resources exist to teach caregivers how to remain mindful of online safety for children.
My target audience issue
Advancement in technology through innovation and invention has made it helpful to keep our minors owned up while we continue with our common activities (DeGarmo, 2014). As minors, seem to be engaged using strategies such as PCs, mobile phones, TV, and tablets, many investigations state that these strategies have a negative implication on them. Overutilization of electronic devices negatively affects the development of minors’ social capabilities and skills. This integrates the ability to promote face-to-face relationship, use well-mannered language, show good behavior, assume liability for actions and control their temper and feelings. Minors who exorbitantly use the internet become unapproachable and they are not able to develop typical rational abilities such as conversational looking, listening and aptitudes. Over use of technology influence both minors’ mental health and development of social skills. Recent research shows that juveniles who regularly use the internet and highly play computer games show more despair and concern. The mind of a child is influenced highly during its development stage that makes it defenseless to natural effects.
My Public Awareness Campaign Slogan
Minors should be taught positive information and safety measures that would keep them more secure while improving their self-assurance and self-esteem. Children should be taught the ways to keep themselves from unsafe conditions (Rogers, 2010). Moreover, children should be aware of measures to take in case they find themselves in unsafe conditions. They should be aware of their caregivers and people to trust. Moreover, they should also know that their caregivers are great individuals in their lives.
How my target audience can aid in preventing this issue
It is not too late for one to start creating positive modifications and changes in his/her child’s life in case the child is dependent on the internet. One should set some time to discuss online things with the child one-on-one (Rogers, 2010). Reducing the amount of time that the child spends on the internet or technology also works effectively. Moreover, one should help develop social abilities and other interests in his/her child. Additionally, one should be a decent model by limiting the use of technology devices such as mobile phones, TVs, and PCs to his/her children (Horowitz et al., 2014). Schedule appropriate time when to use the internet and technology devices, while planning family fun that excludes the use of technology.
Moreover, teaching one’s child ahead of plan about the importance of regulation would also help. Ensure you use the device with the child to monitor the child’s access to the technological device (Rogers, 2010). Approve this opportunity to associate, convey and share family admirations. These strategies help to prevent cyberbullying issues from arising.
Trustworthy and reliable resources to obtain more information
There are several reliable and trustworthy resources where one to extract more information on how to keep minors safe online. For instance, the journal “Technology: The Positive and Negative Effects on Student Achievement” is a reliable and trustworthy resource that provides ways of keeping minors safe online. Another journal named “Enhancing Child Safety & Online Technologies” provides extensive research on strategies for protecting minors from cyber bullying activities. Some governments provide good ways of preventing child abuse online. Countries such as Japan and America have strategies and measures to ensure children safe online (Rogers, 2010). Such actions and procedures support the making of internet a much secure platform for minors. Online child protection measures aim at accomplishing approach of regulating cybercrimes at both national and global levels.
- DeGarmo, J. (2014). Keeping foster children safe online: Positive strategies to prevent cyberbullying, inappropriate contact and other digital dangers.
- Horowitz, M., Bollinger, D. M., & American Association of School Administrators. (2014).Cyberbullying in social media within educational institutions: Featuring student, employee, and parent information.
- Rogers, V. (2010). Cyberbullying: Activities to help children and teens to stay safe in a texting, twittering, social networking world. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.