• Advertise
  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us
Monday, June 23, 2025
Australian Times News
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
Australian Times News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Coral Sea Cable will benefit Pacific island kids, but …

Report warns that there are also dangers, particularly for girls, as new undersea cable enhances internet connectivity.

Mike Simpson by Mike Simpson
19-10-2020 03:00
in News
Photo credit: ChildFund Australia

Photo credit: ChildFund Australia

As Australia invests in the Coral Sea Cable to promote greater internet connectivity it must also invest in combatting the risk – particularly when it comes to the safety of children in the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea.

This is the warning from three Australian organisations that have joined forces to launch the Online Safety in the Pacific report. They are: Plan International Australia, ChildFund Australia and the Young and Resilient Research Centre of Western Sydney University.

The study notes that, while the rollout of cable internet systems across the Pacific opens up unprecedented learning opportunities for children, it also exposes them to new risks of harm.

Now is the time to act

“As Australia invests in the Coral Sea Cable to promote greater internet connectivity, it must also invest in combatting the growing risk of online child sexual exploitation, grooming and cyber-bullying in the Pacific,” said Susanne Legena, CEO of Plan International Australia, a charity that promotes equality for girls.

“Now is the time to act, to invest in the protective frameworks and programs that will prevent children and young people from being harmed online.

“The levels of violence and abuse against children, and in particular women and girls, is already disproportionately high in the Pacific Islands. Without proper investment and planning, it could be exacerbated by increased uptake of digital technologies,” Legena stated.

Measures to keep kids safe

Margaret Sheehan, CEO of ChildFund International, agrees. ChildFund is a Sydney-based independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty among children.

AlsoRead...

Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era

Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era

5 June 2025
Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin

Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin

28 May 2025

“The opportunities that connectivity provides are paramount for children and young people across the Pacific. However, we must be vigilant in taking adequate measures to keep them safe,” she said.

Among the children surveyed for the report, 77% said the risk of accessing inappropriate content such as horror movies and pornography was their greatest fear, followed by cyber-bullying (38%),

Worried at lack of control

Meanwhile, parents and carers identified a lack of control over what children were accessing as their greatest fear.

Participants in the study generally believe girls are more at risk than boys to online abuse and less capable of managing risk. This leads to girls’ access to online spaces being limited by their parents.

The research is intended to inform ChildFund Australia and Plan International Australia’s child protection work across the region into the future.

Build on existing programs

It will build on existing programs that increase the self-protective behaviours of children, equip parents to be partners in online safety and provides governments with tools required to prevent and respond to online abuse and exploitation.

The Coral Sea Cable System is a 4,700km-long fibre optic submarine cable system linking Sydney to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and Honiara in the Solomon Islands. The project also includes a 730km submarine cable system connecting Honiara to Auki (Malaita Island), Noro (New Georgia Island) and Taro Island.

Australia is providing the majority of funding, with PNG and Solomon Islands Governments jointly contributing up to one-third of project costs.

Tags: child abusechild protectionchildrenPacific islands
DMCA.com Protection Status

SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTER

[mc4wp_form id=”2384248″]

Don't Miss

From Portugal to Bali: Where Aussies Should Go for Your Next Coastal Holiday

by Fazila Olla-Logday
20 June 2025
Source: Flickr
Travel

Aussies, here is a guide to where you should go for your next coastal holiday.

Read more

Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era

by Pauline Torongo
5 June 2025
Leading with Trust: Why Quality still wins in the AI Era
Business & Finance

If you're leading a software team today, you've likely noticed the shift: faster feature rollouts, routine automation, and AI taking...

Read more

How to Save on Airport Parking: Budget Tips Every Traveller Should Know

by Fazila Olla-Logday
3 June 2025
How to Save on Airport Parking
Travel

Saving money on airport parking can be a challenge,but here are some budget friendly tips to help you navigate.

Read more

Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin

by Pauline Torongo
28 May 2025
Why Australian Investors are Betting on the Aviation Maverick Louis Belanger-Martin
Business & Finance

Bélanger-Martin’s ambitions stretch beyond redefining inflight comfort—they’re rooted in resurrecting the romance of supersonic travel with a modern twist.

Read more

Why a Gluten Free Hamper is simply the Best Gift for a Coeliac

by Fazila Olla-Logday
22 May 2025
Gluten Free Hamper
at

Buying a thoughtful gift can be tricky at the best of times, but when someone has dietary restrictions like coeliac...

Read more

Biela.dev is quietly becoming the Infrastructure Layer for the Next Internet

by Pauline Torongo
15 May 2025
Biela.dev is quietly becoming the Infrastructure Layer for the Next Internet
Technology

Biela.dev is not merely a consumer app; it is infrastructure. It could be a layer that powers the next generation...

Read more

The Battle for the Premier League’s Fifth Champions League Spot: Who Will Prevail?

by Fazila Olla-Logday
8 May 2025
Premier-Leagues-Fifth-Champions-League-Janosch-Diggelmann-Unsplash
at

As the Premier League season nears its climax, the race for the coveted Champions League places is tighter and more...

Read more
Load More

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status

  • About us
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • T&Cs, Privacy and GDPR
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status