Chatbot Driven Web-based Platform for Online Safety and Sexual Exploitation Awareness and Reporting in Namibia

Technological devices have become a commodity, access to information can be achieved within seconds, connecting people across the globe is easy and possible. Where there is growth, exploitation lurks too. Online sex offenders have taken this opportunity to seduce, groom and make contact with children online. The objective of the research was to design an interactive website with a reporting mechanism that serves as a safe haven where children can find awareness materials and report online incidences of abuse. The use of chatbots on such a website can be beneficial, as queries reported can be attended to. The research used the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) focusing on Agile Method to develop the interactive website prototype and chatbot. Qualitative primary data was collected from 42 pre-teens and teens selected from 2 private and 1 public schools in Windhoek, Namibia. The schools were purposefully selected to reflect the extent of the challenge as they offer Computer Studies or Computer Science subject, the children mostly have access to digital technologies daily. Results from the study yielded opinions that teens and pre-teens would make use of the chatbot and reporting portal, and also supported it by sharing innovative ideas for a platform that they would want to utilise. The prototype was evaluated for Usability by five participants using the unmonitored remote usability testing and the feedback was used to further refine the design.