Heather Harker
On 16 June, we commemorated the Day of the African Child under the theme ‘Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment’. One of the positive remnants of the Covid-19 pandemic is the efficiency and benefits of using the internet to work, educate, and connect with loved ones. For children, the internet also has many benefits. Most notably, they
are educated online, have so many helpful resources at their disposal and they can learn many skills. The internet does, however, provide a remote environment and as such exposes children to many risks. Educators and caretakers/parents have the added responsibility to protect children in the invisible world that is the internet.
Human rights are attached to the person. This means that they follow you wherever you are. Even on virtual platforms, people’s rights must still
be protected. Children are a vulnerable group in society and they too are present online. Their rights should accordingly be protected online, to an even greater extent because of the inherent risks which come with the digital world.
Namibia with various national and international partners has published many resources and conducted numerous training workshops to help achieve a safe digital environment for children. Taking from some of these resources such as a 2016 study conducted by Unicef on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of ICT use and online safety risks by children in Namibia,
below are some best practices for children, caretakers/parents and educators to implement so as to help ensure that children’s rights are protected in the digital
environment.
Tips for the children
• Explore and research how a device works before making use of it
• Activate safety features
• Do not use passwords that are too simple
• Turn off your location, if not needed, and do not share your live location
• Do not meet with strangers. Tell parents and caretakers if strangers want to meet you
• Do not share personal information such as date of birth, age, nationality, etc.
• Be aware of your digital footprint, everything you do online can be saved and shared
• Do not post or share content that will cause harm to the next person
Tips for parents and caretakers
• Be aware of what children are doing online
• Do not share live location of children
• Avoid posting images of children that include school uniforms, badges, house numbers, etc.
• Encourage open communication with children about online safety
• Educate children on their rights and responsibilities online
• Encourage the child to have hobbies outside the internet
• Educate yourself on safety features of devices and platforms
Tips for educators
• For every class taught online, ensure that it starts with education on online safety and measures
• Use platforms with built-in safety features
• Encourage open communication with children and act as good digital role models
Ensuring that the rights of the child in a digital environment are protected is a collective effort. We are all called to action to ensure that our children have access to the digital world in a safe and constructive manner.
Additional information sourced from: http:://www.childline.org.uk/pageshome.aspx;
http://www.nationalcac.org
* Heather Harker is the Children’s Advocate in the Office of the Ombudsman