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The speed of technology is biggest threat
By Rachel O'Connell Last updated at 00:00am on 10.02.04The Barnardo's report has shown what I think many experts have always suspected - that we may have only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as internet child abuse is concerned. There will always be a lot going on we never see.
One of the biggest problems we face is the speed at which technology moves.
Currently, mobile phones are the new frontier of the child-abuse world, with picture messaging having a large potential for abuse.
The most effective question a potential abuser can ask is: "Where are you?" and we need to make sure every child is aware of the rules surrounding online activity.
As soon as children enter school, they need to be taught about internet and mobile-phone safety. We need to give them a clear understanding of what is and is not acceptable, and it has to be a mandatory part of the curriculum.
For parents, the key is communication. We are not naive enough to believe children will not use chat software or text messages. Taking away the child's internet or phone should not be used as a threat, as it will encourage children to rebel. Parents may think they don't understand the technology themselves, but that is not the issue.
It is extremely important that police forces around the world work together, so the excuse "the server is not in the UK" is never used. We will never rid the Web of this material, but with common sense, education and good parenting we can cut down the number of children put at risk.
