Parents, teachers will be trained to monitor lewd websites
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The Education Ministry will train parents and teachers to monitor lewd websites, some of which are reported to have lured teenage girls to ''sex parties online''. The training is among several measures aimed at tackling the problem after a survey showed young Internet users were vulnerable to being victimised by pornographic websites, said caretaker Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng yesterday.
The survey, conducted under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's Safe Internet project, shows 70% of teenage respondents had chatted with strangers on the Internet while more than half regarded lewd websites as acceptable.
Another 13% say they had had sexual relations with people they met on the Internet.
Mr Chaturon said parents could help the government monitor inappropriate websites by keeping themselves updated on what is going on in cyberspace.
Foundation deputy manager Kritsada Ruang-arirat said that a group of parents have formed a network called Parents Online in an effort to help their children make good use of the Internet.
In an attempt to steer youngsters away from risky websites, the foundation has also launched the so-called Pla Wan Project to provide an alternative website (Plawan.com : ท่องเน็ตปลอดภัย ห่วงใยเยาวชน ...) where youngsters can get access to useful and creative resources on education and entertainment.
Project supervisor Poramet Minsiri warned teenage girls against chatting to strangers on the Internet.
Some people lured young women through Internet chat rooms to parties. At the parties, the women would be drugged and raped, with their ordeal broadcast over the Internet via a webcam.
The rape scene would later be recorded onto video compact discs for sale, he said.
At another forum, adviser to the education minister and mental heath expert Yongyut Wongpiromsan asked parents to monitor their children's use of computers and television.
He suggested they not put computers or television sets in their children's bedrooms.
Other measures proposed by the Education Ministry included installing software on school computers to block access to lewd websites and the introduction of a course promoting the creative and safe use of the Internet in schools. ''Children need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet,'' Mr Chaturon said.
Bangkok Post : General news