ANTI-CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES AHEAD OF 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP™
Yvonne Chaka Chaka supports FPB in calls for increased vigilance to safeguard children
3 JUNE 2010
Media classification authority, the Film and Publication Board (FPB), has stepped up efforts to warn people of the likely increase in sexual exploitation of children over the next few weeks.
"We believe the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, as with the event in Germany in 2006, will create conditions that will provide opportunities for abusers, exploiters, traffickers, collectors of child pornography and paedophiles to abuse children," said FPB CEO Ms Yoliswa Makhasi ahead of tomorrow’s launch of a new nationwide campaign designed to raise awareness on child pornography.
The campaign championed by one of the country’s greatest musicians’ Yvonne Chaka Chaka, will be officially launched at Soweto’s Maponya Mall, tomorrow, by the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Mr Malusi Gigaba. Approximately 1500 high school learners will be treated to a fun-filled day of entertainment and education on the issues of child pornography. Isidingo actor Meshack Mavuso one of the campaign’s ambassadors will further set a vibrant tone to the event.
Learners from several Soweto schools including Musi High School, Thaba Jabula and Eldomaine will also take part in an artistic expression competition depicting their take on child pornography.
In addition, an exhibition featuring FPB stakeholders and campaign partners including: Government departments, cellular service providers, NGOs and others, will educate visitors on various child abuse issues and give them the tools they need to protect their community.
The FPB campaign encourages responsible behaviour and vigilance amongst children, parents and care-givers in protecting children from harmful materials and possible abuse.
A 2009 study by the FPB Research Unit found that almost half of a sample of football fans polled during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup agreed that some foreign visitors to South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ might exploit children. “We’ve also received recent reports of an increase in ‘Google’ searches on child pornography in South Africa,” Ms Makhasi said.
“The risk of exposure to pornography and of children being lured away with a promise of meeting their football heroes, only to be abused, is real; children and their guardians need to know this!”
The campaign also aims to promote responsible use and self-regulation amongst children using cell phones and accessing the Internet.
According to FPB Research Unit’s 2006 study entitled: Internet usage and the exposure of pornography to learners in South African schools, around two thirds of children aged 13-17 had seen pornographic images on DVD/video or the Internet. 62% said they’d accidentally come across pornographic images or websites when surfing the web.
“It’s highly disturbing that 56% of children reported their parents do not monitor their web use,” noted Makhasa. “This is of particular concern given that schools will be closed for several weeks.”
A more recent study by the FPB into non-contact sexual abuse of children (10-15 years) via the Internet and cell phones found that 22% of children had seen sexual content or nudity on the Internet that had upset them or made them feel uncomfortable.
A further 14% had been exposed to upsetting content in a chat room. “This was mostly girls taking part in chat room discussions during which unwanted approaches of a sexual nature were made,” she said. “Now, anecdotal evidence indicates an increase in the incidence of children being abused or lured away by criminals using social media platforms such as Facebook.”
The study also found that 12% had seen distressing content of a sexual nature on a cell phone.
Anyone wishing to report cases of child pornography or abuse should immediately contact the police or Africa's first internationally recognized hotline for reporting sexual abuse of minors.
Anonymous reports may be made by calling 0800 148 148 or visiting www.fpbprochild.org.za.
For more information, please call Ms Sibo Myeni on 082 307 4708 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please visit www.fpbprochild.org.za to download relevant research studies.
ABOUT FPB
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) is a public entity of the Department of Home Affairs, established in term of Films and Publications Act 65, 1996; (amended in 2004 & 2009). Formerly a Censorship Board, the FPB is mainly concerned with the classification of materials (films, publications and games), and protection of consumers, in particular children – hence the tagline: We inform. You choose. www.fpbprochild.org.za; www.fpb.gov.za
MANDATE
· To regulate the creation, production, possession and distribution of films, games and certain publications by way of classification
· To protect children from exposure to disturbing and harmful material and from premature exposure to adult material
· To render the use of children in and exposure of children to pornography a punishable offence
CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES
The Campaign seeks to achieve the following critical objectives:
- To educate children, parents and care-givers on the existence of Child-Pornography and the associated dangers and risks to children exposed and involved in the creation, possession and distribution of Child-Pornography and Pornography in general.
- To promote responsible usage and self-regulation whilst using new media cyber-networks and communications technology by children
- To promote understanding amongst children and parents on the reasons and meaning of the classification tools used by the FPB for Film, Games and Publications
- To encourage responsible behavior and vigilance during the 2010 FIFA World Cup amongst children, parents and care-givers in protecting children from harmful materials and possible abuse
- To promote and advise children, parents and care-givers of the reporting channels for cases of Child-Pornography and related incidents ; 0800-148-148 and fpbprochild.org.za are the key telephonic and internet-based means of reporting cases