Phan Lan Huong, Director of the Center for Child Rights Research under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, has heard many stories about children who are victims of sex abuse, exploitation and manipulation.

A young boy messaged her once in distress, saying that a man had befriended him online and started urging him to send his nude photos or display himself on camera. The man reciprocated by sending the boy his own nude images.

A 13-year-old girl made acquaintance with a boy on Facebook. The boy said he had special feelings for her and wanted to meet her. Luckily, she realized that the boy had tried to cheat her, because the photos the man sent were images of a South Korean celebrity she admired.

In another case, a 12-year-old girl befriended a foreigner to practice foreign language. The foreigner sent a link with enticing promises. When the girl accessed the URL, she saw many images of naked men and women, leaving her terrified and traumatized.

Local media have recently reported many cases of online child sexual abuse, and the National Child Helpline said it has received countless reports concerning this issue.

Huong recounts a heartbreaking call from a mother whose 14-year-old daughter ran away with a 19-year-old boy she met on Facebook. After falling in love with him, the girl left home to be with him for two weeks.

Parents need to educate their children about online child sexual abuse. Experts said scammers use many sophisticated tricks to cheat young people, especially teenagers. They may cite many reasons to make acquaintance with victims. For example, they say they need a friend to practice foreign language with, or want to meet the victims to give presents from specific programs.

Scammers mostly target young girls, persuading them into romantic relationships. When the relationships become closer, they ask the girls to engage in sexual activities, and threaten to break apart if the girls refuse them. Boys, too, face risks of homosexual sexual exploitation through various means like outings or romantic relations.

Inexperienced in life's complexities, young children easily fall into invisible traps laid for them.

Huong stressed that parents, as the closest people to their children, need to intervene and monitor their children’s social media use. 

Parents should act as their children's friends, who can share opinions and exchange conversations. Both authoritarianism and excessive permissiveness can be harmful, pushing children further into hazardous behaviors.

Trong Dat