This was stated by the head of juvenile police, Vasyl Bohdan, during a television broadcast, as reported by Ukrinform.
“Currently, we are observing issues related to bullying, including cyberbullying, violence, sexual assault, fraud, and dangerous online acquaintances. There are numerous conflict situations resulting in physical injuries to children. The involvement of children in illegal activities, including online, also requires attention now,” he said.
According to Bohdan, online fraud, recruitment, and manipulation on social media and messengers are not isolated incidents.
“The most challenging aspect is that children often do not perceive the situation as dangerous themselves. What seems like a casual acquaintance or conversation in a messenger can gradually lead to consequences that the child may not fully realize. A perpetrator might initially become a friend to the child and then exploit that trust,” the police officer stated.
He specifically highlighted the issue of social networks, messengers, and online games: “There, a child feels in their usual environment and may not even understand they are communicating not just with a person, but with someone deliberately recruiting them. Therefore, it’s important here to explain to children not only what not to do but also how to recognize such manipulation.”
Read also: 44 cases of children being recruited by Russian special services were recorded in the Kharkiv region – Prosecutor’s Office
In this context, Bohdan urged parents to focus primarily not on the phone and its contents, but on changes in the child’s behavior.
If a child suddenly becomes very withdrawn, nervous, starts hiding things, changes their social circle, acquires unexplained money or gifts, or constantly discusses potential earnings or tasks with friends, these are reasons to talk to the child.
“Phrases like ‘I can’t tell you, it’s a secret’ or ‘I was told nobody should know’ are also alarming,” the law enforcement officer noted.
He explained that the issue is not about monitoring every message a child sends, but about ensuring they know that if someone online asks them to do something strange, secret, dangerous, or unusual, they should first and foremost tell an adult.
Trust is particularly crucial in this regard.
“There’s no need to start with shouting and punishment. If a child fears that for any problem, especially online, they will have their phone taken away, be punished, or condemned, they will simply hide the issue. Therefore, parents should establish a rule: ‘Tell me about the danger, and we will first protect you, and then figure out what happened,'” the head of juvenile police summarized, emphasizing that this is far more effective than total control.
Read also: How to protect children from enemy recruitment online – police recommendations
As Ukrinform reported, Russian special services use the recruitment of children through online games to gather intelligence or carry out sabotage. The enemy disguises criminal tasks as “quests” or “game missions.”
Photo: Bring Kids Back UA
Источник: www.vesti-ua.net