The world we live in today is full of advanced technology inventions.
Life has become so much better with the introduction of smart phones,
iPhones, tablets, internet etc and the number of internet users are
increasing on daily basis, but we must be mindful of the dangers of
addiction and abuse of these technology inventions.
According to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) the number of
internet users in Nigeria presently is above 120 million. This
development has contributed to the increase in the number of internet
addicts and abusers e.g. online pornography addicts & paedophiles.
Online pornography addiction is a growing problem in the technology age
which many victims, internet users, stakeholders and the general public
are not paying serious attention to. It is breaking homes & destroying
lives spiritually, physically, mentally, academically & emotionally on
daily basis.
Research revealed that in every minute, more than 2,000,000 (two
million) pornographic materials are exchanged on the internet and social
media. This of course has a lot of negative impacts on children, youths
and the society at large.
Online pornography addiction is one of the major factors that are
contributing to the increase in cases of rape & child defilement in
Nigeria & the world at large in this technology age. This is because
online pornography addicts are always desperate to satisfy their sexual
urge on any available victim after watching pornographic pictures &
videos on the internet, particularly when they get to a stage at which
they cannot control their sexual urge anymore. This is why we hear of
cases of rape and child defilement almost every day.
It was reported recently in the media that a 22-year-old undergraduate
was raped to death in a church in Benin city, three armed men allegedly
gang-raped a 17-year-old girl who is a street hawker in Ekiti State,
while two students were also raped and killed in Ibadan, Oyo State and
all these happened within some days. There are also several cases of
gruesome murder and rape of ladies, men, boys & girls by those who are
supposed to be their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles,
teachers, mentors etc.
The scourge of rape is wicked and satanic. It has destroyed the future
of many unsuspecting victims and sent several of them to an early grave.
In order to deal more effectively with the scourge & reduce it to the
barest minimum in the society, here are some important tips:
1. Children should be educated on internet safety because they are the
most vulnerable. This is also applicable to adults. Online pornography
addicts and paedophiles are always on social media to search for their
victims.
2. Parents should give their children moral and sex education at the
early stage of their lives. A 2-year-old child is due for moral and sex
education.
3. Moral and Sex education should be included in the curriculum of
primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
4. Children should be discouraged from watching pornographic films,
videos or other pornographic materials because in most cases, it
increases their sexual urge which may eventually lead to rape or child
defilement when it becomes uncontrollable.
5. Parents should avoid luring their children to sex through family
pornography. e.g. children should not be allowed to bath together
irrespective of sex or age. Parents on the other hand should avoid
undressing in the presence of their children irrespective of age or sex.
6. Indecent dressing should be prohibited in the primary, secondary and
tertiary institutions.
7. There should be more awareness campaign on rape & child defilement on
daily or weekly basis on the media, in schools, markets and other public
places.
8. The criminal justice system should be strengthened in order to ensure
quick prosecution of perpetrators.
9. Perpetrators should not be allowed to enter plea bargain on cases of
rape & child defilement.
10. The signing of “Sexual Violence Against Children Bill” into Law by
the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Dr. Kayode Fayemi
and the establishment of Sex Offenders Register, publication of names of
convicted sex offenders in Ekiti State is a welcome development and
should be emulated by other state governments, as this will ensure
effective prosecution of perpetrators & reduce the scourge of rape &
child defilement to the barest minimum.
Rotimi Onadipe