\n
<\/p>\n
Last year the organization launched a study, which revealed
\nworrying aspects first related to the time children are spending online. George
\nRoman, programme director with the aforementioned organization has more on this
\nissue. <\/p>\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
George Roman: It was a surprise to us as well since we
\ndidn’t expect to find out that during weekdays, children are spending between 4
\nand 6 hours online on an average. They spend more time at weekends when they
\nalso watch TV programmes. We’ve noticed that these children may develop mental
\nissues, such as forms of depression, anxiety, and are also displeased to have
\nsocial relations. The study reveals the fact that one out of two children have
\nbeen victims of cyber-bullying and that 6 out of 10 have been exposed to
\ninappropriate content. We don’t know how this situation is going to improve in
\nthe future but what we know is that we can raise the awareness of these
\nchildren and make them realize they need assistance from adults. <\/p>\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
Save the Children organization also has a hotline where
\nillegal online content can be reported at esc_ABUZ within a project entitled
\n‘Internet Hours’. Statistics show that illegal materials reported here are on
\nthe rise. Out of the 2713 cases reported last year, 1600 involved materials
\ndepicting sexually-abused children, most of the victims being girls under 10
\nyears old. Teodora Stoica, project manager with the Save the Children
\nOrganisation explains how these materials have proliferated in Romania in the
\npast year. <\/p>\n
\n
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Teodora Stoica: According
\nto the latest study conducted by our organization, 4 out of 10 children with
\nages between 12 and 17 years have been exposed to sexually explicit content.
\nMoreover, 20% of them say they have been requested to send images or videos
\nwith their intimate body parts. Cyber-bullying, which is one of the way through
\nwhich these pictures or videos are being obtained, has largely contributed to
\nthe proliferation of these materials online. And technological progress makes
\npossible the appearance of new types of cyber-crimes, being easier than ever
\nfor an offender to get in touch with children nowadays. One of the most serious
\nchallenges facing the online environment is to prevent the sexploitation of
\nchildren…According to INHOPE, Romania is ranking 7th on a EU list of
\ncountries where suchlike inappropriate content is posted and from the reports
\nreceived, we’ve noticed that although most sex abusers are men, the number of
\nmaterials in which women are abusing children is also on the rise.<\/p>\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
The esc-Abuz hotline has been functioning in cooperation
\nwith the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police being also part of INHOPE,
\nan international network of organizations and institutions fighting this
\nscourge. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
In this way, online materials, which are harmful for
\nchildren, are being sent to the Romanian Police, where they are investigated
\nand erased from the Internet, while offenders are identified and prosecuted.<\/p>\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
According to Elena Savu, head of the Bureau for the
\nInvestigation of Child Pornography Online, 398 criminal files related to child
\npornography were reported in Romania last year, and 277 of these were solved.
\n168 sting operations were conducted and 261 home-search operations were carried
\nout; 296 people were placed under investigation and over 20 million photo-video
\nfiles were analyzed. Elena Savu says that live-streaming videos of child sexual
\nabuse is the latest tendency in this phenomenon.<\/p>\n
\n
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Elena Savu: The most sensitive cases, which
\nunfortunately are on the rise in Romania as well, are these cases of live
\nstreaming. They involve women who used to perform in video-chats. They decided to
\nmake their children participate in these shows for various sums of money and
\nare currently use various apps to broadcast these videos live.<\/p>\n
\n
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Since 2010, Save the Children has been running a project
\nentitled ‘Internet Hours, which is promoting a safer use of the Internet and
\nnew online technologies by children. The project has brought together a network
\nof volunteers, teachers and experts who are working with children with a view
\nto implementing a series of educational programmes nation wise. Here is Georgiana
\nRosculet, coordinator of educational programmes with the aforementioned
\norganization. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Georgiana Rosculet:
\nThe specific themes we are approaching
\nthis year are cyberbullying and Internet Addiction. This programme of
\nvolunteering is mainly addressing teachers who are willing to talk with
\nchildren about these phenomena. They can apply for information materials and
\nvideo packages, guidelines for a better understanding of these phenomena and
\nthen they can opt for various lesson plans that we have suggested. As part of
\nthe ‘Internet Hours’ we have a hotline for children, so they can call in
\nwhenever they are curious about various aspects of Internet surfing or may find
\nthemselves in delicate situations. Half million children have benefited from
\nthis project in the past 10 years. We have about 4,000 volunteers, teachers in
\n800 cities and we have so far cooperated with 28 hundred education centers. We
\nare going to carry out a certified programme for teachers, a training
\nprogramme, which is going to be implemented in 41 counties.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Experts with the Save the Children organization have
\ncautioned that all over the world, authorities have become more relaxed
\nregarding this phenomenon, and that relaxation makes the number of those
\ninvolved in activities, like buying, storing or trading child pornography, to
\nbe on the rise. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
(translated by bill)<\/p>\n
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