SEVENTEEN cases of online harassment and blackmail targeting children have been handled in the first half of this year, it has been revealed.
Fourteen of these cases remain under investigation, two have been temporarily closed because perpetrators were unknown, and one has been referred to the criminal court, Family and Child Prosecution deputy head Mohammed Bouhaji said.
Mr Bouhaji told our Arabic sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej that offenders who exploit children online are well aware that ‘today’s child is not the same as yesterday’s’, and they constantly adapt their criminal methods to ensnare young victims.
He stressed the need for joint action between civil society and families to strengthen care, protection and monitoring systems to shield future generations from all forms of exploitation.
Interior Ministry’s Cyberspace Child Protection Unit head Lieutenant Colonel Maryam Yousif Al Dhaen said online games are a major factor in increasing cyber risks.
She explained that one common tactic is for offenders to disguise their voice to sound like someone of the same age group or to lure children with in-game purchases.
Others exploit trends on social media, such as encouraging children to befriend strangers and share personal photos to earn points in certain apps – making it easier to blackmail and exploit them. Children aged between 10 and 15, she noted, are the most vulnerable.
Child-safety experts advise keeping devices in shared family spaces, banning phones from bedrooms, limiting internet time and watching for unexplained physical or emotional changes in children – warning these may be signs of online abuse.
Experts are warning about the rising dangers of certain online games being used to exploit children’s innocence.
These warnings come as part of global efforts to ban the games to safeguard children’s mental and digital well-being.
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