The event attracted the participation of about 24,000 people who are working in education and child protection at the provincial, district, and communal levels in various sectors, such as labour and social affairs, police, education and training, and information and communication, in 62 provinces and cities nationwide.
Participants at the event were updated on legal framework and policies on protecting children online; prevention and controls of crimes using high technology to abuse children; risks facing children in cyberspace; and technological solutions to protect children; handle, intervene, and assist abused children in cyberspace.
Speaking at the event, Dang Hoa Nam, Director of the Department of Children, said that to keep children safe online, it is necessary to improve legal regulations on child protection and child abuse in cyberspace, while also strengthening law enforcement on acts of child abuse.
He also stressed the need to develop technology solutions to monitoring, warning, blocking, filtering, and removing information and behaviour that harms children in the online environment.
Greater attention should be paid on increasing knowledge and skills among children, parents, teachers, and caregivers on child protection in cyberspace, he added.
For her part, Le Hong Loan, a specialist from UNICEF, noted that online child abuse can have serious consequences on children’s lives, especially their mental health.
Thus, she stressed that protecting children in cyberspace requires the joint effort from Government agencies, schools, parents, and the entire society, especially information technology businesses.