Aside from the coronavirus pandemic, parents are being alerted about a handbook on exploiting children, which is currently circulating on the dark web, according to The Daily Mail.
Children have been spending more hours online to keep them busy while staying at home during the lockdown. However, parents are advised to be watchful about with whom their kids are talking to online.
According to a report from The Guardian, the handbook teaches abusers how to convince children to share explicit content which they can use to further intimidate their victims.
This has prompted Australian's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, to advise parents on how they can protect their children from online predators who regard the coronavirus "as a honey pot."
Data has shown that reported incidents have doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inman-Grant advised parents to use parental control software to limit and monitor their children's online activities.
Parents can also set limits on how long children use the internet, as well as establish device-free zones in the house to keep children safe. They can set a bedroom or bathroom as device-free zones since they cannot see what their children are doing online.
It is also helpful to monitor online games and apps for children; parents should check their privacy settings as well.
Lastly, it is important to be involved in children's virtual lives like regularly messaging them, as well as watching content and playing games with them. This would encourage open communication, so parents can easily monitor their online behavior, particularly when predators have contacted them.
The Predator's handbook
Australia's e-safety commissioner told The Guardian they are receiving more reports about child sexual abuse material during the lockdown. Also, there has been a significant increase in dark web searches about how to abuse children.
Inman-Grant explained that COVID-19 has become an opportunity for predators since children spend more time at home and online without enough supervision. These kids often feel isolated and lonely.
There is a COVID-19 predator handbook that contains a step-by-step guide on how to persuade children to share sexual images of themselves. Inman-Grant also said that due to current restrictions and heightened policing, the handbook instructs predators to focus on online activities instead of meeting children face-to-face.
Last year, the commission received an average of 670 reports per month. However, child sexual abuse reports have increased by 37% last month, higher than 27% in March. Inman-Grant believes the pandemic has contributed to the increased risk of child abuse online.
Meanwhile, investigators have also seen increasing conversations on dark web forums about how the isolation provides them with greater opportunities to contact children remotely and groom them for sexual exploitation, said a spokeswoman from the eSafety Office.
To prevent these situations, the spokesperson highlighted the importance of having parents talk about online safety with their children and making them feel comfortable when reaching out for advice.
Children need to have a trusted adult to report an online issue to and help them deal with it. In contrast, children may feel reluctant to do so if they feel they will get punished or if their devices are taken away.
