In the small village of Battambang province, Dara, a 10-year-old boy, loved exploring the world through the internet on his new smartphone. His village was surrounded by rice fields, and life was simple but filled with love. Using the internet made Dara feel like he was part of a much bigger world.
One day, Dara received a friend request from someone who seemed nice and liked the same games as him. They started chatting, and the person promised Dara rewards in the game. But soon, the stranger asked Dara to send photos of himself and threatened to tell others if he didn’t. Dara was scared and didn’t know what to do. He became very frightened and alone, too afraid to tell his parents, and he started acting quiet and sad.
Dara’s parents noticed that he wasn’t himself anymore. He stopped talking as much and didn’t enjoy his favorite activities. They were worried but didn’t know why he was acting this way. In Dara’s village, people didn’t talk much about the dangers of the internet, so Dara didn’t know who to trust or how to ask for help, fearing he might get in trouble.
Ms. Sokha, a kind social worker trained by APLE, visited Dara’s school and noticed he seemed unhappy. She gently spoke to him, making him feel safe enough to share his story. She promised to help him and his family understand what had happened. Ms. Sokha arranged for Dara to see a counselor who helped him feel better. She also talked to his parents, teaching them how to keep Dara safe online and how to support him through this tough time.
With Ms. Sokha’s help, Dara began to feel better. He learned how to use the internet safely, and his parents became more aware of online dangers. Dara even started to help other kids in his village understand how to stay safe online. Thanks to Dara’s experience, his village now holds regular meetings to talk about internet safety. Dara has become a role model, showing other kids how to protect themselves online.
Most children who face online abuse are very young, often under 11 years old. The number of harmful images online is growing, which is why it’s important to use tools to find and remove these images quickly. When such images are posted online, the trauma for the survivors never ends. They live in constant fear that someone will recognize them and that the abuse might continue in real life.
Every child deserves to be safe, both online and offline. We must work together to protect our children, says Mr. Chan, a community leader.
If you see anything online that makes you uncomfortable or you think might harm a child, report it immediately. Talk to your children about staying safe online and keep an eye on what they’re doing. Your actions can protect and save lives.
