Cyber-crime awareness protects youth using the internet [1]
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 19:14. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Australian National Rugby League players are visiting Tonga together with the Australian Federal Police to conduct a three-day Cyber Safety Pasifika program, aimed to educate and raise public awareness among the community, particularly school children, on the risks and danger involving the internet.
In Nuku'alofa is, Nigel Vagana NRL's Welfare and Education Manager with Don Singe a Sea Eagles official. The NRL players include Roy Asotasi (Rabbitohs), Caleb Timu (Broncos), Jayson Bukuya (Sharks), Keith Galloway (Wests Tigers), Tongan 'Etuate Uaisele (Panthers), with Melissa Sevil of the Australian Federal Police’s High Tech Crime Operations.
The program which runs from October 24-26 is held in conjunction with the Tonga Police, the Ministry of Education and District and Town officers. It includes site visits to high schools throughout Tongatapu, with workshops for church groups, small businesses and youth groups.
Melissa said, this was their second visit to Tonga to reinforce the key messages, which is to educate people on how to be safe and to use technology responsibly.
"We also provide young people with advice on how to manage their social network, make them think about what they are doing on their mobiles phones so that they are not behaving inappropriately, but more importantly not become victims to cyber crimes," she said.
The program was launched last year by AFP’s High Tech Crime Operations together with the Samoa Police and Tonga Police, in partnership with the NRL, after it was initiated by the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police.
The five piloted countries were Tonga, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue and Cook Islands.
This is an ongoing program that trained 10 police officers from the five piloted countries to run these programs locally.
Melissa said youths in the Pacific were exposed to the different types of cyber crimes happening anywhere else in the world whether it is online child exploitation, cyber bullying or sending inappropriate photos or scams.
Awareness
Nigel said they were happy to be in Tonga during their off season to support the Tonga Police and Ministry of Education in raising public awareness to protect people who are using the internet.
Tonga's Deputy Commissioner of Police 'Unga Fa'aoa, with Manu 'Akau'ola of the Ministry of Education and 'Alotaisa Takau, District Officer of Ma'ufanga, were also part of the program.
The team leaves Tonga in the weekend and will visit Samoa, from October 28-31.