172 cases of child abuse and endangerment on the internet detected and addressed in Ho Chi Minh City

Children today are exposed to the internet early while their psychology is still developing. (Source: Dai doan ket Newspaper)

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City recently released a five-year interim report on the implementation of Decision No. 830/QĐ-TTg by the Prime Minister regarding the “Program to Protect and Support Children for Healthy and Creative Interaction on the Internet for the 2021-2025 period”.

Two main threats to child safety

According to the report, the city has a high rate of Internet usage among children, with 89% of those aged 10-15 frequently online and 87% of those aged 12-17 spending an average of 5-7 hours per day on the Internet.

Children are targeted by criminals due to their early exposure to the Internet while their psychology is still developing. City authorities note that crimes related to child abuse on the Internet remain complex, with offenders becoming younger, more sophisticated, and harder to detect.

Based on practical work in protecting and supporting children online, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City identifies two main threats to child safety.

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First, the threat from harmful, negative, and toxic information online.

Second, the threat from specific types of crimes. Notably, child sexual abuse crimes. Offenders often befriend children through social media platforms (Facebook, Zalo, Instagram...), dating apps (Tinder, Limatch), virtual chat rooms, and online games (Lien Quan Mobile, PUBG...), leading to abuse cases.

It is noteworthy that most child sexual abuse cases involve the victim's consent, stemming from romantic feelings, a lack of parental supervision, and a permissive lifestyle.

Another significant crime is extortion. Children are lured into providing, sharing, or exchanging sensitive images and videos, which are then used to threaten and spread on social media, coercing them into extortion. However, there have been no recorded cases of "online kidnapping" scams targeting children under 16 in the city.

Proposed measures in education

The 138 Steering Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has detected, verified, and addressed 172 cases of child abuse and endangerment online. Authorities have prosecuted 157 criminal cases involving 173 defendants and 148 victims. Additionally, 15 reports are currently under investigation. No cases of children self-harming or endangering themselves online have been reported.

The city evaluates that the awareness among some managers, teachers, parents, and students about the risks and impacts of the online environment is not yet comprehensive. They often fail to promptly assess and detect signs, lacking the necessary skills to quickly handle situations arising online.

Criminals exploit the anonymity of the digital environment to seek, manipulate, and exploit child and adolescent victims. Many parents and students lack vigilance and awareness of privacy when sharing children's personal information online, facilitating offenders in collecting and using it for criminal purposes.

The scale of information dissemination on child protection online does not match the scale of Internet users in Vietnam. Public awareness efforts have not reached every household, particularly those in high-risk areas.

Managing, investigating, and handling offenders online remains challenging. Some new platforms have not established management requirements, becoming tools for offenders to access, abuse children, and disseminate harmful, illegal content.

For various reasons, victims delay or refuse to report incidents and cooperate with investigators, complicating the process of gathering, verifying, and investigating information.

Ho Chi Minh City recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training research and develop content on IT application and digital transformation in educational programs, tailored to each educational level and age group. This is especially crucial for early childhood education to limit early exposure and influence from electronic devices and mobile applications on children.

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