Some female lawyers have called for the use of social media, as a means to address the menace of sexual harassment of children.

They said this in separate interviews in Lagos that the psychological effects of sexual harassment of girls and boys were profound and needed to be eradicated.

Mrs Amaka Agbakoba-Onyejianya, a Lawyer said that sexual harassment was a threat that had always been present from the beginning of time, but was now at an alarming rate.

She added that the use of social media to create awareness would go a long way at educating the masses.

“Knowledge begins with awareness.

“Once we start to have notable individuals as spokespersons going around and talking about the punishable fine of the evil in this act; it will gradually recede.

“People will start to understand that these are behaviours that are not accepted in the society, and it will attract strict rigorous penalties to the defaulters,” the lawyer said.

Ify Oji, Managing Partner of Haldane Law firm, said that early sexual education should start in the family, in order to expose the children early and create awareness against paedophiles.

“We should not limit everything a child learns to the school alone, but as parents we should endeavour to teach our children on the need for proper dressing and indecent acts,” she said.

Oji said that sometimes girls fall prey to child prostitution out of ignorance, and the devious acts of unscrupulous child traffickers who use make belief stories to lure them away from home.

“Most of the times they get themselves into child prostitution or dangerous situations when they don’t have money without even knowing it,” she said.

The lawyer, however, blamed the increase on the level of poverty in the country and the lack of a well-structured system, to impart adequate knowledge for the increased sexual incidences.

Also, Ricky Asamota, a business consultant said that teaching courses in schools to educate young ones, on proper ways to make money is one way of eliminating such occurrence in future.

Asomata said that all hand must be on deck; to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are caught and brought to book instantly.

“The law will also play their part so that it will be like one big interconnected system of people, government, social media and individuals all working seamlessly together to raise that awareness.

“We cannot and should not allow such criminal acts to go on without stamping out feet on the ground for the safe future of our children,” she said.

In the same vein, Mrs Florence Ogunsanya, an educationist, said that it was important to teach children especially girls at an early age about their bodies to prevent been taken advantage of.

“You should tell your girl very early in life that her genitals and buttocks should not be touched by anybody especially a man.

“You should even encourage her to shout if any person does so. This technique helps to deter would be molesters,” she said.

Ogunsanya, however, pointed out that sexual harassment involved both male and female adding that boys also suffer such violation from female predators which needed to be addressed.