Latest news with #SexualAbuse
Hans India
02-08-2025
- Hans India
Teaching safe touch through play: Protecting children with activity-based learning
With increasing risks from both strangers and familiar individuals, teaching children about safe and unsafe touch has never been more urgent. Verbal instructions alone often fail, as preschoolers struggle to translate abstract warnings into real-world action. Activity-based learning—using role play, puppets, and interactive games—has proven far more effective in building recall and response skills. The recent case of a five-year-old reportedly abused in a private play school highlights this critical need. Schools and parents must collaborate, using structured, engaging methods and regular assessments, to ensure children not only understand safe-touch boundaries but also feel empowered to say 'no' and seek help Children today face risks never imagined before—strangers online, familiar abusers, or even trusted adults. It's important in today's scenario that young children emstand the difference between safe and unsafe touch at the early age. Rather than relying solely on verbal instruction, activity based learning—through role play, puppets, games—can help children understand the concepts deeply. A recent childmolestation case in Ranchi emphasizes this urgency: a five year old was reportedly abused within a private play school premises. This tragedy has shaken parents across India and prompted educators to begin mock drills and interactive sessions in schools. Before it's too late, parents and teachers must embrace structured, proactive methods. This is not about instilling fear—it's about empowerment. Through guided activities, children learn not just about unsafe touch, but when and how to say'no'and seek help. Why Simple Talk Isn't Enough Verbal explanations like 'don't let anyone touch you inappropriately' are essential—but severely limited. Cognitive developmental studies show that preschoolers struggle to translate abstract verbal rules into concrete responses. In contrast, hands onactivities make concepts real: when a child practices saying 'stop' during staged role plays, their fear response becomes internalised. A systematic review of (Child Sexual Abuse ) CSA education interventions in developing nations highlights that younger children showed significantly more recall and refusal skills after play based sessions than after verbal lessons alone. Building a Safe-Touch Curriculum: From Puppets to Role-Play A well-structured safe-touch curriculum uses interactive teaching methods such as puppet storytelling, pretend games, and everyday examplesto teach the difference between safe and unsafe touch. Children are more likely to retain lessons when they actively participate in these exercises. For example, through role-playing, a child may practice saying 'stop' or 'no' in response to a touch that makes them uncomfortable, ensuring the lesson remains with them. The hands-on approach helps children adopt boundaries and empowers them to speak up in real-world situations. Engaging Parents and Caregivers Children learn best when there is strong collaboration between schools and homes. Workshops for parents and guardians can help adults role-play with kids at home, emphasizing the lessons learned in school. These sessions provide parents with the tools to guide their children in identifying unsafe situations. Parents are encouraged to ask open-ended questions, such as, 'Who would you tell if someone touches you and it doesn't feel right?' This approach creates a home environment where children feel safe discussing their concerns, ensuring they are more likely to report any discomfort or confusion instead of keeping it hidden. Monitoring & Measuring Impact To ensure methods truly work, schools must assess outcomes over time. Safe touch programmes should include periodic assessments: • Pre and post session quizzes asking children to identify safe vs unsafe touches • Scenario-based assessments, where children demonstrate what they'd do in mock risky situations • Follow up surveys with parents to report behavioural shifts—like increased willingness to speak up when uncomfortable Research strongly supports these checks. A study in developing countries found that schools using structured activities with follow up assessments saw a 40% increase in children's ability to distinguish safe and unsafe touch. Empowering children to protect themselves is not optional—it's essential. Schools and families must shift from passive conversation to active practice, embedding safety through play and rehearsal. With real life cases like in Ranchi reminding us of the high stakes, the structured rollout of activity based education, reinforced by parents and backed by measurable evaluation, is our best defence. Let us act now, before it's too late—ensuring every child grows up informed, confident, and safe. Research Snapshot: Why Activities Matter • Verbal-only teaching often leaves preschoolers unable to apply concepts—they can parrot advice but freeze in real situations. • Interactive learning, like mock drills and role play, boosts retention and empowers action. Children who role-play unsafe touching reply assertively in 70% of trials, compared to only 30 % with verbal teaching alone. • Parental reinforcement doubles effectiveness. When children practice safety drills both at school and home, refusal and reporting behaviours increase by nearly 50 %. In short: combining verbal instruction with structured, engaging activities and parental follow up doesn't just teach children about safe touch—it ensures they habituate protective instincts that could one day save them. (The author is Founder Director& CEO of Target Learning Venturer)
The Star
21-06-2025
- The Star
Digital wounds, lifelong scars
Child Sexual Abuse Material isn't just content – t's a crime that inflicts deep, lasting trauma JUST one hour. That's all it takes for an online predator to groom a child – convincing them to share personal details, including their location, and ultimately trapping them in a web of sexual abuse. In just 60 minutes, a predator can build trust through social media, using flattery, attention and deceitful promises to manipulate a young mind. Yet, many Malaysians remain unaware of the gravity of what's happening behind screens. Most of us have never even heard of the term Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), let alone understand its devastating implications. CSAM isn't limited to explicit photos. It covers a wide range of disturbing content – videos, drawings, manipulated images, and any material that depicts or suggests the sexual exploitation of children. Lurking dangers In a 2024 global report by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, it was estimated that a staggering 300 million children around the world fall prey to CSAM every year. Behind that number are countless children whose lives have been deeply affected by online sexual abuse – receiving suggestive questions, being pushed to share images of themselves or their body parts or exposed to sexually explicit content involving other minors. According to THORN – a non-profit that develops technology to protect children from sexual abuse – children under the age of 12 are often the main targets in CSAM, especially in content that is shared among offenders. But teens aged 13-17 are also at risk with predators turning to sextortion – cruelly blackmailing them with the threat of exposing their most intimate moments unless they hand over more images or even money. Kelly Chan, a clinical psychologist at Soul Mechanics Therapy in Petaling Jaya, explains that online grooming is a calculated process in which predators earn a child's trust – often targeting children who feel isolated or emotionally neglected. 'Groomers often present themselves as a supportive adult or even as a friend, to an extent, they offer praises, gifts and attention to create emotional dependency on the children,' she shares. Chan also adds that trust is established, groomers begin to desensitise children to sexual content – often by introducing inappropriate topics disguised as games or jokes. Over time, they escalate their demands, asking for explicit photos or acts, leaving the child feeling trapped in a cycle of fear, shame and guilt. Lifetime of trauma Once CSAM is shared online, it spreads like wildfire – almost impossible to erase. Survivors live with the constant fear that someone, somewhere, is viewing their abuse, and the trauma is repeated every time a photo or video is opened, shared, or saved. 'Psychologically speaking, victims can struggle with severe anxiety, depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),' warns Chan. 'They may experience chronic shame and low self-worth, especially if they feel they've lost control over their identity – even more so if they know others can still access their abuse at any time,' she adds. Kempen Internet Selamat (KIS), an initiative by the Communications Ministry and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), was launched to promote safer internet use and awareness of digital crimes, including CSAM. Even if CSAM was created in the past, its continued circulation online can keep the trauma alive, leaving victims feeling powerless and trapped in a relentless cycle of abuse. Many become hypervigilant, withdrawn, or even aggressive, driven by fear and distrust. This emotional toll can affect their ability to build secure relationships and friendships. 'Some children may exhibit age-inappropriate sexual behaviours, such as engaging in sexual talk or mimicking sexual acts, which could be a result of exposure to CSAM,' Chan observes. She adds that older children may also resort to substance use, self-harm, or other high-risk behaviours as a way to regain a sense of control or escape the emotional pain. No child's play 'The circulation of CSAM online today involves a complex and evolving ecosystem,' says CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab. He noted that Peer-to-Peer networks, encrypted messaging apps, and the dark web are often used to share CSAM due to their anonymity, making detection and enforcement difficult. Amirudin adds that they also see a concerning shift toward the misuse of more mainstream platforms. 'Cloud storage services, social media direct messaging, and even online gaming platforms are increasingly being exploited to share or store such material, often through covert methods,' he says. By law, those caught possessing, producing, or circulating such material face tough consequences under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with prison terms of up to 30 years. On top of that, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 adds another layer of punishment, with fines reaching RM50,000 or up to a year behind bars for distributing obscene or offensive content. Yet, the rising numbers indicate more than law and order are needed to battle this epidemic which is silently slipping through screens, reaching into the lives of young Malaysians. In just the first quarter of 2024, Malaysian authorities reported 51,638 cases of harmful online content to social media platforms – a sharp rise from the 42,904 cases recorded throughout all of 2023. Malaysia has long been battling CSAM through various awareness initiatives, including the latest effort by the Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The campaign, called Kempen Internet Selamat (KIS), is a nationwide campaign running from 2025 to 2027, which will involve talks, exhibitions and training on areas including online safety guides and digital literacy. Raising awareness In December last year, Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11) principal assistant director senior assistant commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan issued a stern reminder that parents have a critical duty to shield their children from all forms of abuse – including sexual exploitation. Her reminder came as the country faced a troubling surge in CSAM cases. 'While awareness of general online threats such as scams has grown among the Malaysian public, understanding of the presence and dangers of CSAM remains limited,' Amirudin observes. KIS will be carried out in primary and secondary schools, universities and colleges, teacher training institutes, and local community spaces like Digital Economy Centres. He notes that the deeply rooted taboo and stigma surrounding abuse often prevent open discussion – leading to under-reporting and obscuring the true scale of the issue. Amirudin also highlights a widespread lack of awareness about how seemingly innocent, everyday actions can put children at risk. 'There is a lack of sustained, targeted education that highlights the evolving risks, including how everyday actions like 'sharenting' (parents who share children's images online) can be misused by predators,' he explains. Everyone's responsibility 'I make it a point to ask my teens about the apps they're using, who they're talking to, and what kind of messages they're getting,' says homemaker P. Meena Kumari, whose children are aged 13 and 16. 'And honestly, just teaching them what's not okay– like someone asking for photos, or trying to move the chat to another app. Being able to talk about these things with your children goes a long way.' But parents too, says Meena, have to educate themselves. 'It's so easy to fall behind with all the new stuff coming out, but if we don't know what they're on, we can't really help guide them.' While she agrees parents should play the biggest responsibility, she also feels strongly that it takes a collective effort. 'Schools can help by teaching online safety, and tech companies really need to do more to flag and block harmful stuff before it ever reaches our children.' If you come across any form of child sexual abuse material, don't stay silent. Report it immediately at your nearest police station or through the Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Every report helps protect a child. Scan the QR code below to find out more:
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Possession of child sex abuse material arrest in Bossier
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – In a joint investigation with state and national partners, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office has arrested a man for possession of Child Sexual Abuse materials. Detectives with the Bossier Parish Sheriff's office arrested Brandon Shapiro age 30 of Bossier for the possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. Shreveport police arrest two women for severe child abuse The arrest stems from tips submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which were forwarded to the Louisiana Attorney General's Office as well as the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Police say Shapiro was arrested at his workplace without incident. He has been booked into the Bossier Parish Maximum Facility with a $100,000 bond. If you have information about this case, know of any potential victims or related incidents, please contact the Sheriff's Office. This case is still under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
British Soap Awards 2025 sees Jacqueline Jossa lead famous arrivals
The British Soap Awards 2025 have finally kicked off again. This year, the annual event is being held in London. The biggest names in soap were gathered in London on Saturday night to celebrate the drama, laughs and highlights of the past year of stories on the small screen for the 2025 British Soap Awards. The ceremony is now in its 26th year, with winners voted for by the public. Famous faces from the land of soaps have started arriving, with Patsy Palmer and Jacqueline Jossa being amongst the first to walk the red carpet. The ceremony is being held at the Hackney Empire in the capital - and highlights from the show will air on ITV on Thursday 5 June. Coronation StreetEmmerdaleEastEndersHollyoaks Jack P. Shepherd - David Platt in Coronation StreetPatsy Palmer - Bianca Jackson in EastEndersNicola Wheeler - Nicola King in EmmerdaleNicole Barber-Lane - Myra McQueen in Hollyoaks Kellie Bright - Linda Carter in EastEndersLacey Turner - Stacey Slater in EastEndersBeth Cordingly - Ruby Fox-Miligan in EmmerdaleEden Taylor-Draper - Belle Dingle in Emmerdale Calum Lill - Joel Deering in Coronation StreetNavin Chowdhry - Nish Panesar in EastEndersNed Porteous - Joe Tate in EmmerdaleTyler Conti - Abe Fielding in Hollyoaks Peter Ash - Paul Foreman in Coronation StreetSteve McFadden - Phil Mitchell in EastEndersEden Taylor-Draper - Belle Dingle in EmmerdaleIsabelle Smith - Frankie Osborne in Hollyoaks The Platts - Coronation StreetThe Slaters - EastEndersThe Dingles - EmmerdaleThe Osbornes - Hollyoaks Jacob Roberts - Kit Green in Coronation StreetLaura Doddington - Nicola Mitchell in EastEndersShebz Miah - Kammy Hadiq in EmmerdaleIsabelle Smith - Frankie Osborne in Hollyoaks Alison King and Vicky Myers - Carla Connor and Lisa Swain in Coronation StreetRudolph Walker and Angela Wynter - Patrick and Yolande Trueman in EastEndersWilliam Ash and Beth Cordingly - Caleb and Ruby Miligan in EmmerdaleNathaniel Dass and Oscar Curtis - Dillon Ray and Lucas Hay in Hollyoaks Mason's Death - Coronation StreetPhil's Psychosis: The Mitchells in 1985 - EastEndersApril's Life on the Streets - EmmerdaleHollyoaks Time Jump - Hollyoaks Paul's Battle with MND - Coronation StreetPhil Mitchell: Hypermasculinity in Crisis - EastEndersBelle & Tom: Domestic Abuse - EmmerdaleSibling Sexual Abuse - Hollyoaks Will Flanagan - Joseph Winter-Brown in Coronation StreetSonny Kendall - Tommy Moon in EastEndersAmelia Flanagan - April Windsor in EmmerdaleNoah Holdsworth - Oscar Osborne in Hollyoaks Mason's Death – The Effects of Knife Crime - Coronation StreetEastEnders at 40: Angie Watts' Shock Return - EastEndersAmy's Deathly Plunge Reveals a Grisly Secret - EmmerdaleMercedes Confronts Her Mortality - Hollyoaks There are also awards for and which are announced on the night Jacqueline, who is best known for playing Lauren Branning, oozed glamour and sophistication as she rocked a dress featuring a daring thigh split. Both EastEnders and Emmerdale have been nominated 13 times across 12 categories - making themy the shows to beat on Saturday night. Coronation Street and Hollyoaks are not far behind, however, as both are up for 11 nominations each. EastEnders has been first out the gate, however, scooping the Best British Soap award over the other rival shows. While all the winners will be unvieled at the ceremony on Saturday night, the ceremony won't be broadcast on ITV until Thursday 5 June at 8pm. Singer and TV star Jane McDonald has been hosting the event since 2023 and was back to preside over the ceremony on Saturday. Despite hosting the show before, Jane admits she does get star struck by her famous audience. She told Inside Soap previously: "Hosting this is a massive thing for me because I'm a genuine fan. I get starstruck standing on the stage in front of all the soap actors!" Celebrities arrived at the Hackney Empire theatre in London on Saturday for the British Soap Awards 2025. Stars from Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and more were in attendance to find out who won what, as voted for by the public. EastEnders star Sophie Khan Levy and soap icon Patsy Palmer were among the first to arrive at the event, with both ladies opting for blue outfits.
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Expert warns parents over AI deepfakes of children
Only 20 images of a child are needed to create a deepfake video of them, a leading expert in cybersecurity has warned. The study, conducted by Perspectus Global, focused on 2,000 parents with children under the age of 16 in the UK, and showed that parents upload an average of 63 images to social media every month. Over half of these photos include family photos (59%), with one in five parents (21%) uploading these types of images multiple times a week. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, CEO of Mick Moran, said that as AI gets stronger, the 20 images required to create the videos will be reduced to only one. "The big worry is that these AI models will be used to create CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) and children involved in sex acts," he said. "We've already seen in the past, innocent images that kids themselves are posting, or their parents are posting, being used in advertising pornography sites. "In this case however, giving a certain data set of images, 20 of them, will allow you to produce a non-limited amount in any scenario of that child." Mr Moran explained that the risk of CSAM is only one aspect of the issue, and the deep-fake videos could also be used for fraud or for scams. "You have to be aware that your data is being used to train these models and fundamentally, any information you share online can be used in ways you never intended." He said that if images are being shared publicly, the expectation of privacy is "gone," adding that some companies see uploaded material as under "implicit consent." "If you're an adult and you share a picture... it attracts different rules under data protection. However, if you're a parent and you share a picture of your child or another child, it is deemed to be implicit consent from the parent that transfers to the child, and therefore they can use the image." Parents urged to limit social media privacy settings Mr Moran said that there is "no problem" in sharing images online, as long as the audience who can view it is limited through social media privacy settings. He called on the Government to bring in legislation to make it illegal to possess or to make an engine which trains AI to produce CSAM. "CSAM and child pornography are illegal under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act of 1998, so it's illegal to possess it, whether it's made by AI or not," he said. "What I'd be calling on the Government to do here would be to make it illegal to possess, make an engine, or to train an AI engine that will produce CSAM - that's not illegal. "What you put into it might be illegal, what comes out of it might be illegal, but the act of doing it is not necessarily illegal," he added.
