Children can be targeted on the internet by predators. Photo / Getty Images
Children can be targeted on the internet by predators. Photo / Getty Images
The rise of online abuse has led to the hāpori of Hauraki to hold dedicated wānanga so whānau can counter the escalating threatening and predatory behaviour that’s occurring on the web.
Netsafe and Te Pūkotahitanga, the tangata whenua rōpū advising the Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and SexualViolence, Karen Chhour, are supporting the specialist briefing at the whare of Te Whāriki Manawāhine o Hauraki today.
The NGO recently hosted a conversation with the Chief Censor’s Office about extreme online content.
“Bullying is a big one for us in Hauraki, so I believe that the need to wānanga is evident given most people’s lack of awareness about what online abuse actually is,” said Denise Messiter, chief executive of Te Whāriki Manawāhine o Hauraki.
“Because we’re now being so socialised into complicitly using online - whether it’s Facebook or Tiktok - we don’t always recognise what online violence might look like in our own lives or how dangerous the environment actually is.
“The extent and the reach of social media, and the propensity for abuse gives us cause for concern particularly for our wāhine, rangatahi, tamariki and mokopuna so we need to counter it with measures of control to be safe.”
Amokura Panoho, co-chair of Te Pūkotahitanga and Poutaki Mātauranga Māori of Netsafe, will present information that for some may be alarming like the lengths sexual predators go to trying to groom mokopuna tamariki by cloning their profiles to entrap them into abuse like pornography.
“My presentation is about how to empower Māori communities and enable them to understand the critical issues. We’ll look at where our traditional values and collective vigilance can be applied plus what free online tools by Netsafe are available,” Panoho said.
She sees this as a chance to harness the strengths of Māori indigenous knowledge with community action to create stronger online safety strategies. Educating whānau about the risks of sharing photos of their mokopuna, she aims to empower Māori families, ensuring they are not left vulnerable to the misuse and manipulation of their imagery.
Panoho will discuss the current online landscape in Aotearoa, explaining why wāhine Māori and whānau who engage in discussions on contentious issues or celebrate te ao Māori often become targets of racist attacks.
She will outline the legal protections offered by the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, available support mechanisms for those facing online abuse, and crucial culturally responsive strategies for safeguarding tamariki and mokopuna in the digital world.
“The online world is very complex and constantly involving, so the tactics that are used to exploit the trust and naivety of our whānau are becoming more and more sophisticated,” she said.
Holding the tech companies and social media platforms accountable is fundamentally critical Panoho believes.
“It is important to create a stronger regulatory environment in Aotearoa. Our Government’s decision to walk away after scrapping the Safer Online Services and Media Platforms (SOSMP) project was a lost opportunity.”
A number of the tech giants were actively engaging with the initiative that started in June 2021 and finished in May 2024.
According to the Government website, its official purpose was “to improve the regulation of online services and media platforms to boost consumer safety for all New Zealanders, with a particular focus on minimising content harms for children and young people”.
“The effect of discontinuing that project is it’s left a regulatory gap, so the reality means we now rely heavily on the tech companies voluntarily regulating their platforms,” Panoho said.
“This doesn’t address the unique vulnerabilities of young children, our mokopuna, our elderly, and other marginalised communities because we need a structured approach that compels platforms to adhere to safety standards.
