A plethora of issues that children face worldwide, ranging from cybercrimes, parental pressure, bullying, and drowning, were in sharp focus at the Unicef media training held in association with the Ministry of Information (MoI) at the ministry premises on Wednesday. The workshop was conducted by Charbel Raji, a Lebanese journalist and political analyst.
The two-day workshop paid great attention to the necessity of ethical reporting on children's issues. The event, which witnessed participants from a cross-section of society, including the Royal Oman Police, media, religious sectors, ministerial delegates, and education sectors, was a signpost to a number of facets of reporting news about children and working responsibly while addressing the issues faced by them.
Topics discussed included the drowning of children in water bodies, beaches, and flash floods. Participants opined that the doubts of children should be clarified, kindling their thirst for knowledge and inspiring children to ask questions.
“We should ignite the thirst in children to know more and ask more. Answers to children must be a priority for parents. If we do not resolve their quench for thirst, who will? We need to be patient and help them in critical thinking. Otherwise, there are chances they may develop double or split personalities,” said Hawra al Maimani, a lecturer with the College of Applied Science Nizwa, who underscored the importance of addressing children’s emotional needs.
Abdullah al Hashmi, a spokesperson from the Oman Journalists Association, pointed to the challenge parents face in managing their children's exposure to social media.
“Although I feel that I can control children from spending too much time in the digital world, they know everything about how to access it,” said Al Hashmi.
Khadija al Kindi, communication officer from Unicef, proposed forming a support group for children in Oman, strengthening evidence-based policies for children, and enhancing systems and services for children while initiating ideas for collaboration between parents, educators, policymakers, and the media to create a safer, more supportive environment for Oman’s children.
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