Police warn online cases are reaching younger children

Increasingly young children are being drawn into online cases, SSP and the police warn, as smartphones expose them to risks on social media and the internet, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

SSP and police officers are visiting parent meetings in first-grade classes around the country. Their focus is smartphones, social media and the internet. In the past, these presentations were mainly aimed at parents of fourth-graders, but they are now being brought to first-grade families too.

SSP says children are encountering the internet and social platforms much earlier than before, making it important to discuss rules and responsibility in good time. “We want to come in as early as possible, so parents have the chance to agree on shared rules and good habits,” said Súsanna í Króki, an SSP adviser.

SSP and police handle cases involving cyberbullying, threats, grooming, prostitution, rape and the illegal sharing of images. They say children often struggle to judge the risks hidden behind an online game, profile or friendly message, and may trust the person they are communicating with.

“The figures show that more and more young children are being drawn into cases that originate on social media. Prevention is therefore our best tool,” said Trúgvi Askham of the police’s Technical Investigation Department, who is attending school parent meetings with í Króki.

Parents are being urged to delay giving children smartphones for as long as possible, agree on clear rules and keep conversations open about what their children experience online. Although police figures are moving in the wrong direction, they see some grounds for hope: more groups of parents are agreeing to postpone smartphones.