Abstract
M.Ed. (ICT in Education)
The Children’s Bill of Rights (1996) and the Children’s Charter (1996) of South Africa state that all children have a right to be protected from violence, sexual abuse, gangs and psychological and verbal forms of violence. The children’s Charter further states that children need special protection because they are among the most vulnerable members of society. They are dependent on others for their protection, i.e. their parents and families, or the state, when these fail to care and protect.
It is known that Social Media plays a significant role in modern society to expose children to the kinds of harm that the abovementioned legislation aims to protect. However, it is clear that the education system in South Africa does not provide the necessary measures to protect children from such harm. In this work, the extent to the exposure to online harm in selected schools in the Kathorus (Katlehong, Thokoza and Vosloorus) area is examined. It is clear that much work awaits educational
authorities in this regard.