Key Benefits:
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DRAFT RESOLUTION NO. 346 /X
It recommends the Government to draw up a Campaign
National Awareness and Risk Prevention of the
Internet for children, in the framework of the National System
of Alerting and Protection of Missing Children.
Exhibition of Motives:
It is, today, consensual throughout the World, that the use of the
internet can put children and young people in situations of
danger, as this is the most widely used form by the
sexual predators to seek out their victims and
reach out to them.
Currently, children are the biggest users of the
internet, particularly of chats . The extraordinary evolution and
expansion of these technologies can be an important
tool for the intellectual development of children and
young people, but can equally prove extremely
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dangerous due to lack of parental control over the
interlocutors and contents of the chats .
The way in which the zeal of the parents manifests itself is quite revealing
of some generational misadjustment: they will never allow that
the children if deslowhom , alone, for isolated places and
dangerous, but by allowing for navigation on the internet,
may inadvertently be facilitating an exhibition
to the most varied risks in the apparent security of the home.
And even if those in charge of education seek to avoid the
access to certain sites or chats , will be able to bump into the
language and own codes that children and young people
use to communicate on the internet, and that parents do not
know, do not even understand.
We can even talk about a lack of basic literacy
of the parents in relation to the internet for, according to data from the
Project "MiudosSegurosNa.Net":
60% of parents are intermediate users;
56% of parents never sit next to their kids
while these browse the internet;
Only 4% does it always.
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Ora, all of this, creates a sizable 'digital divide' between parents
and children.
Obviously, the solution does not go through banning young people from
accept the chats like the "MSN", not so little
discourage access to the internet or to new technologies, that
constitute an essential tool of your
development and a paramount condition for your
future. But the parents will have to accept that the protection of the roof
domestic can be delusional and should explain to them the risks
that these sites may entail.
Not any kind of excessive "control" or
prohibitionism, until because, in addition to condemnable in the
plan of the principles, it would be totally ineffective, for when
parents to prevent the installation of these sites in the
computers, there would already exist ways to bypass the filters of
security. These days, children have, since very early,
a huge technological elasticity and, with the prohibitions, the
adults would enter an undesirable conflict with their children. The
mere ban does not clarify, not alert and, since soon, not
sidestasts the danger to which they are subject.
In addition to that, and according to the National Coordinator
of the "EU Kids Online" Project, the Portuguese children
acedem much more to the internet via the mobile phone than from the
computer, which represents an exhibition and risk
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increased as, in this way, they aced to the sites and chats that
want, from where they want, even in school, and without any
type of control.
It is consensual that in order to combat these risks, the attitude more
important and sensible is prevention.
Second data provided by the Director of the Department
"Child and Child Online Protection" by Child
Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), the evolution
in the UK of images on the internet of abused children
sexually it is as follows:
1995: 12 images;
1999: 41,000 images;
2008: 1 thousandhão of images.
It matters not to forget that behind each image the circular
on the internet, is a real child, and these data make us
reflect and conclude that you cannot discure, in a way
any, the legislation applicable to the use of the internet by
children.
In this context, it would be very important that the European Union
could proceed to the necessary harmonization of laws
applicable in this respect, in such a way as to facilitate the charges and
detentions related to paedophilia.
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For its integration in the U.E. and the Schengen Area, Portugal
is considered a country permeable to the sex trafficking of
children and young people.
Now, to be effective, it has to be acted on
in various fields of action, which not only the legislature. How
has already been mentioned, prevention is the most important attitude in the
combating disappearances, trafficking and sexual abuse of
children and young people.
In this sense, they should be designed and implemented
national awareness raising campaigns and warning of risks to
that the children are subject to, as users of the internet.
These campaigns should be disseminated in the communication
social and in schools.
The site from CEOP in the UK, presents films well
designed on the form of prevention in this matter. Would be
desirable to be made films of this genus in Portugal
to disseminate at the national level or at least who are asked
to CEOP to authorize its diffusion, with translation to
Portuguese. Some of these films can be seen in:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=vp5nScG6C5g;
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=YUF3qhYs1i0;
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=lOeQnGUSjMs;
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=_baoFXIOLoY;
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=6JHg5PqBTjQ;
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On the other hand, in the understanding of the CDS-PP, it was important that
in Portugal also applied on the "MSN" something similar
to the English "Report Abuse"-which is directly linked to the
CEOP-in which children quickly could access and,
with all security of confidentiality, denouncing a
approach to which they have been targeted, an attempt at abuse
or even an abuse. Upon receiving a message from a
child, CEOP immediately actuates the entities
competent to verify the veracity of the facts and
proceed to the search and detention of the abuser. Suit to remember
that the "MSN" is the chat more used by children, soon, a
easy and very attractive target for criminals.
By the exposed, the Assembly of the Republic, pursuant to the
(b) of Article 156º of the Constitution of the Republic
Portuguese, deliberating to recommend to the Government that:
Draw up a National Awareness Campaign and
Prevention of the risks of the Internet for children, in the
scope of the National System of Alert and Protection of
Children Missing and Sexually Bussed, to be
disseminated in the media and schools.
Palace of Saint Benedict, June 2, 2008.
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The Deputies,