“Careful Parents” – the newest campaign of the Empowering Children Foundation

Online grooming of children is a manipulation designed to induce a child to create erotic materials, and sometimes also to meet and sexually abuse him/her. The online manipulators usually choose for victims children who need attention, appreciation, lonely in solving their daily life problems. The support given by the perpetrator is of course apparent and often becomes a mechanism that involves children in a threatening relationship.

Almost one in four teenagers (23.1%) admit that had a meeting with an adult met online. 39% reported it to their parents, 29% did not inform anyone (NASK, 2016). Meanwhile, the number of reported incidents of online grooming of children rise from year to year.

Children whose parents have time to talk with them, are attentive to their behaviour, and are able to recognize and face up their needs are much less likely to be manipulated (also in the Internet). Therefore the campaign's slogan is "Being a parent is a challenge. Be sure not to miss anything" and the accompanying materials - a brochure, a website, press and internet articles, and classroom scenarios - show what parental attention is and how to take care of our children safety online.

The "Careful Parents" campaign is implemented by the Empowering Children Foundation within the cooperation with the Polish Safer Internet Center. Orange Foundation is the main partner of the action. The activities are co-financed by the OAK Foundation. The campaign is patronized by the police.

Video (English)

Video (Polish)

Webpage with information and educational materials (Polish)