Children and Teenagers Face Growing Dangers in the Online World, Report Finds
A recent report from “jugendschutz.net” has revealed a rising trend of online dangers for children and adolescents. The report, presented in Berlin on Tuesday, highlights the alarming increase in violations of youth media protection in 2024.
According to the report, a total of 17,630 violations were registered, with over 9,700 instances of content providers and self-regulatory bodies being notified of breaches. In a staggering 99 percent of these cases, the services responded by removing or blocking the content. In extreme cases, such as sexual violence, the organization involved law enforcement agencies. Cases of non-compliance were referred to the Commission for Youth Media Protection (KJM) and the Federal Centre for Children and Youth Media Protection (BzKJ).
“We must not leave our children alone to face the dangers of the digital world” said German Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Karin Prien. “It’s like a vast marketplace where thousands of voices compete, some friendly, many manipulative, hurtful, or dangerous.”
Cyberbullying, sexual harassment and extremist ideologies overwhelm young people, the minister emphasized. “We must act together: the platforms must finally take responsibility for their actions.”
The report underscores the urgent need for collective action to protect children and adolescents from the growing threats in the online world.