Following the report of surfers calling for a "rape day" on Saturday, which was first published in "Israel Today", parents were warned to "show responsibility and involvement in the children's activities on the network"
The Israel Police, the National Headquarters for the Protection of Children on the Net and Unit 105 in Blade 433 issued a warning to the public today (Friday) following calls on the Internet for the existence of "International Rape Day" this coming Saturday, which were first revealed here in "Israel Today".
The police said: "We would like to inform the public that in recent days we have witnessed the distribution of various content on social networks, calling for tomorrow (Saturday 24.04.2021) 'International Rape Day'. We call on parents to be involved and responsible in the children's activities online, talk to them "Explain to them and make sure they understand the dangers of such calls. Avoid collaborating with content senders or share content with people they do not know. Also share and distribute this content as sharing may encourage others to cooperate".
The police added: "Any viewing of content calling for harm to another may constitute a means of sexually assaulting minors and adults alike with the aim of mimicking the content to which they have been exposed. The Israel Police recommends that anyone harmed or exposed to this content contact Hotline 105 immediately and report."
Campaign of the National Headquarters for the Protection of Children on the Internet to raise awareness of the vulnerability of children in the online space // Photo: LPM
As you may recall, two days ago it was first reported in "Israel Today" that surfers from abroad published posts on the subject of "Rape Day", which is rumored to be "held" on Saturday, April 24. According to those posts, that day will be " It is permissible to "sexually assault women, document the acts and upload them to the Internet.
Following a request from the Minister for Social Strengthening and Advancement, Orly Levy-Abaxis, the National Headquarters for the Protection of Children on the Net and Tiktok issued a joint statement calling on them to report immediately if they encounter posts on the subject, and of course not to share and distribute them.
This is despite the fact that an examination conducted did not find any posts calling for the commission of the acts, but only those that warn and oppose them.
First and foremost, the headquarters called, as stated, not to pass on the messages to prevent more children from being exposed to the subject and to reduce unnecessary panic, both among the minors and among the parents.
"In the event of exposure to messages on the subject, it is important to follow the recommendations: not to cooperate with the submitter of the message and not to respond to the request," it said.
"It is important to take a screenshot and share it with the parents, family member, teacher or other significant figure. You can contact Hotline 105 around the clock, so that we can work to locate and remove the content."
Matiktok Israel said: "The alleged trend of the 'International Rape Day' report is a direct violation of our community guidelines. Although we have not seen evidence of this trend on our platform, our safety team remains vigilant and removes any such content."
According to Minister Levy-Abaxis, "Our commitment is to increase the sense of personal security of children and youth in the online space. There are currently no indications for such posts, but if you or your children encounter such a post, the recommendation is to report immediately to Hotline 105, and not forward the messages. "Parents - talk to the children and instruct them to share with you any distress they experience online and do not hesitate to ask for help in any case of injury or fear, discomfort or insecurity in their conduct online."