Government has launched the Disrupting Harm in South Africa report that presents the national data needed in the country’s quest to protect our children.
Speaking on occasion of the launch of the report on Friday, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said she welcomes the Disrupting Harm in South Africa report on behalf of the government of South Africa.
As one of the pathfinding member countries, she said, today South Africa is joining other countries who have already launched their country reports.
Together with UNICEF, the Department of Social Development conducted a nationally-representative study where 2 643 children who were aged between 9 and 17 years, as well as 1 393 parents or caregivers in all the nine provinces of the country participated in the study that explored children’s online behaviours and experiences.
Minister Zulu said that the community-grounded partnership is the basis for the inclusion of South Africa in this international initiative.
In 2020, UNICEF observed that one in three women were experiencing gender based-violence, and that one in five children under the age of 18 years were experiencing sexual abuse.
“The abuse, neglect and exploitation of children — girls and boys alike — are intentional conducts that make this an epidemic that is drowning the mental health, physical well-being and prospects of South Africa’s future: children. The astronomic increase in the number of child pregnancies is the regrettable indicator of the prevalence of this destructive menace,” Minister Zulu said.
The Minister said that the Disrupting Harm in South Africa report provides government with the baseline national data on the extent of online-facilitated child sexual abuse.
“On the grounds that these data will form the basis for the strengthening of the country’s technologically facilitated child sexual abuse research agenda, we are assured that responsive policies and programmes will flow from them.
“The Disrupting Harm in South Africa study is presenting us national data that we need in our quest to protect our children. The report’s findings are as clear, as its recommendations are unambiguous,” Zulu said.
To demonstrate South Africa’s commitment in caring for and protecting the children, the Department of Social Development has developed guidelines that are relevant to the prevention of child exploitation and how its regrettable eventuality must be responded to.
These guidelines specifically address subjects such as child trafficking, child labour and sexual exploitation. Working together with UNICEF South Africa, the Department of Social Development is designing a training manual on the prevention of and response to Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in South Africa.
“This manual will be particularly useful to frontline officials, including police, social workers, teachers, etc. Moreover, the Department is implementing a myriad of targeted social behavioural change programmes that are enabling young people to make the right choices and decisions which will have a lasting impact on their lives.
“In launching the Disrupting Harm in South Africa report, we do so urging for a targeted people-public-private-civic-academic-multilateral implementation partnership that will carry out the report’s recommendations in line with the mandate of ensuring that South Africa’s children are protected when they are tapping into the benefits of digital technologies,” Zulu said.
South Africa being a member of WeProtect Global Alliance, Minister Zulu said government is continuously and progressively developing its implementation capabilities with respect to the Model National Response to online child sexual exploitation.
She added that this is work-in-progress.
“Moreover, I call upon the Department and its entities to realise the recommendations of the Disrupting Harm in South Africa report by establishing alignments with the She Decides initiative, among others,” Minister Zulu said.
