“Lapor Predator” to Help Reduce the Number of Sexual Predators on the Web

It has been reported that Malaysia has close to 20,000 IP addresses downloading and uploading visuals and photographs of child pornography in South East Asia. In fact, at least one in 10 children in Malaysia have been hoodwinked into uploading indecent photos of themselves on the internet. A 2018 survey by the United Nations Children’s Fund revealed that two out of five children in a focus group reported having bad online experiences, which they prefer to keep to themselves. Besides that, a 2019 study by End Child Prostitution and Trafficking International revealed that Malaysia scored 0/100 in the “Out of the Shadow” index. This is an index that rates how stakeholders respond to threats of sexual abuse and exploitation faced by children. Shamefully, this indicates a severe lack of internet protection for Malaysian children. Unfortunately, the fear of sexual shame prevents many from reporting and when they do, it is usually when the situation has escalated out of control. Monsters Among Us: Youth Advocates, a youth-led organisation in Malaysia combating child sexual abuse through advocacy, education and community involvement, will be launching “Lapor Predator” on 10th April at 8PM in efforts to combat this issue. Lapor Predator Launch “Lapor Predator” will act as an online reporting tool to help reduce the number of sexual predators lurking on the internet, which is especially crucial with increased online activity in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports reveal that a total of 175,000 children went online for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, opening the gates for more predators to connect with these children for sexual purposes. “Lapor Predator” will take the form of an automated chatbot. Children or their guardians can report any abusive activity by responding to a questionnaire and uploading screenshots or videos of such abuse as evidence. A designated team will then go through each complaint to sieve out the genuine from the pranks, before forwarding it to the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for further action. Register now and witness their game-changing chatbot go live, streaming from their respective social media platforms. More information can be found at Instagram @monstersamongus_my. Members of society, especially youth, are encouraged to be part of this change by contacting Nani (+6013-3863361) or Kher Shuen (+6019-3936033). #LetsLaporPredator for safer internet, safer childhood.

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