In a statement, Unicef Malaysia said about 86% of children polled identified their parents as the most trusted adult source to seek help in case of online sexual abuse.
It said the result of the survey conducted on more than 800 girls and boys aged 14 to 17 in Johor, Kelantan, Penang and Sarawak underscored the important role parents played in keeping their children safe online.
“Our lives have gone digital, and children are pioneers in this space,” said Marianne Clark-Hattingh, the Unicef representative in Malaysia.
“Our challenge today is to help children be aware of the risks whilst reaping the benefits that the Internet has to offer, by mediating rather than restricting access.
“Parents themselves may unintentionally expose their children to harm online by not fully understanding the risks themselves,” she said.
“It is therefore crucial that they too are aware of the risks and know where to get the right information,” she added.
The statement was issued following a town hall session for parents on child online protection organised by Unicef in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The event was held in conjunction with Safer Internet Day and the launch of Unicef’s publication titled “State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a digital world” (SOWC 2017).
The report covered the benefits digital technology could offer to children while examining how the internet increased children’s vulnerability to risks such as the misuse of private information, access to harmful content and cyber-bullying.
Unicef also noted that Malaysia passed the Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017 last year, providing a legal framework over new offences such as online grooming and child pornography.