While parents should protect their children against online risks such as online grooming, sexting and pornography, they should also prepare the youngsters for encounters with such issues, according to Associate Professor Daniel Fung, chief executive of the Institute of Mental Health.
This comes amid a surge in the number of children exposed to inappropriate sexual content with the prevalence of digital devices to view such material.
Noting that it is almost impossible to regulate pornography on the Internet, Prof Fung said parents should help children understand that such content exists and why it is not good to watch it. Instead of treating it as a taboo topic, parents can take the opportunity to discuss with them, explain what pornography is and why it is harmful, he added.