Online predators are targeting children in Japan at alarming rates. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the rising cases of online exploitation, from grooming through games and social media to tragic real-world consequences.
Why are kids in Japan so vulnerable? Is it cultural? Technological? Or something deeper within society and the way we communicate?
We break down:
- How these predators find and manipulate their targets
- What Japan’s police are doing to crack down
- Why cultural and technological factors may be making things worse
- What parents — not just in Japan, but everywhere — can do to protect their kids
Is Japan just catching up to a global crisis — or is something deeper going on? And how do we stop it?
Chapters:
- 0:00 Topic overview
- 1:23 The growing problem?
- 2:36 How predators find their targets
- 3:48 What the police are doing
- 5:08 What parents can do
- 6:34 Final thoughts
- 8:57 Outro
Read more on Japan Today:
- Japan police arrest 111 in online child exploitation crackdown
- Body found in closet identified as missing Tokyo high school girl
- Man arrested for attempting to help teenage girl he met on social media commit suicide
Join the Conversation!
Why are so many kids falling victim to this in Japan? Is it parenting? Pressure? Escapism? Let us know in the comments below!
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10 Comments
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theFu
Not just Japan. Kids are curious and don't realize all the risks involved in providing just a little information to strangers can include.
YT is blocked here, so can't see any videos there anymore. Happened a few weeks ago.
purple_depressed_bacon
The internet is so integrated into their everyday lives that kids nowadays have no fear of it and its dark underbelly. I'm not even sure if schools are teaching students to take the proper precautions about the dangers of the internet now. It's a far cry from kids who grew up in the 90s when the internet was a new-fangled concept and they were routinely taught not to talk to strangers online, not to put their personal information online, not to purchase items online etc. etc.
wanderlust
The children are unable to talk face to face with other carbon-based lifeforms, school and cram school pressure, busy or absent parents and relatives. Digital devices provided by parents as an alternative to personal contact. A digital 'friend' appears at the touch of a button, and provides the social contact that the family fails to offer.
Yrral
Parents pay the Internet bill, parents ought supervise their children,adults are preyed on online,lots of people do not care if you trust them like many sociopath,they usually exploit something a person is lacking in their lives,trust is the last thing exploiters seek out in a victim
Yrral
The mass want to be deceive so.let them be deceived ,with the exception of children, adults should know better,but do.not always
Aoi Azuuri
This country's investigating authorities have neglected even anti-NHK party and its believers who cornered plural person to suicide by innumerable online harassments.
Cephus
The problem is more complicated by the fact that most social media policies under "education" or "health" don't flag down adult entertainment.
kaimycahl
This isn’t just happening in Japan but other countries. Many kids are falling victim to online predators due to unsupervised internet use, lack of education about online safety, and the manipulative tactics predators use. Social media and gaming platforms make it easy for strangers to contact children, especially those who feel isolated or emotionally vulnerable. Without proper guidance and monitoring, children are more susceptible to grooming and exploitation.
Yrral
Children are falling victim at school,by teacher predator
starpunk
There is software with parental controls that can screen that content for certain age groups. AI is a part of that. I have a degree in Computer Science, I know.
But oh no! Did you know that AI is the new 'boogie man' to be scared of these days? The National Enquirer, Faux News and radio podcasters say so!
That's been going on for who knows how long? I was a teenager when the Police had their hit 'Don't Stand So Close to Me', and that lyrical theme happened at my high school! That was in 1981.