IT teaching at school (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Less than a half of Vietnamese youngsters seek help from their teachers when facing online threats, revealing the important role that schools can play in providing information of online safety for students, said Jesper Moller, Deputy Chief Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam.
Internet safety should be integrated into school curricula, he said, adding that schools should also invite consultation experts, while setting up a support system among students in order to help those who are facing negative experiences online.
According to a new research by the United Nations’ Children Fund (UNICEF) that covers more than 10,000 youngsters aged 18, from twenty-five countries across the world, Vietnamese 18-year-olds are highly aware of Internet safety and understand the risks facing them through the Internet, and are quite sure that they will not become victims.
UNICEF’s study reveals, juveniles tend to be confident about their ability to protect themselves, with 90 percent of interviewed people saying they believe that they can avoid online risks.
Meanwhile, 6 out of 10 people held that meeting new friends online is relatively important to them, but only 36 percent say they recognise when a stranger is lying about their personal information.
Cornelius William, Associate Director at UNICEF’s Child Protection Programme, said that the Internet and mobile phone have created a revolution and changed the way young people access information. However, online abuse is a real risk to young girls and boys, he warned.
Globally, one out of three Internet users is adolescent, he noted, stressing that UNICEF wishes to listen to the voice of juveniles to deal with online abuse and ensure children fully benefit from the advantages brought about by the Internet and mobile phones, said William.-VNA
