HOT 102.7FM Childhood Matters

Childhood Matters

This Child Protection Week, HOT1027 is asking the hard questions: where are we failing our children? From online predators and pornography to bullying and neglect, we’re bringing in the experts to unpack the biggest threats — and what we can do to protect our kids.
Daily English South Africa News · News
25 Episodes
1 – 20

Childhood Matters: Episode 26: Hot Cares supports efforts to save abandoned babies

An organisation that plays a crucial role in rescuing abandoned babies is getting some much needed help - thanks to HOT1027 listeners.. It’s Child Protection Week, and here on HOT1027, we’ve been shining a light on South Africa’s most urgent crises—none more heartbreaking than baby abandonment. Every year, thousands of…
5 Jun 11AM 3 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 24: "This is not a shelter, this is your home"

In Krugersdorp’s struggling neighbourhoods, the devastating realities of drug addiction, homelessness and child neglect play out every day. But at one small shelter, a team of women is fighting back—one mother and one child at a time. This Child Protection week, HOT1027’s Tara Penny visited "Wings of Inspiration" to find…
5 Jun 5AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 23: Gauteng is a human trafficking hub

As the fight against human trafficking intensifies, experts warn that children here in South Africa—and particularly in Gauteng—remain prime targets for traffickers. As we mark Child Protection Week, parents are being warned that corruption, porous borders, and a disturbing increase in female traffickers are fueling a crisis that sees children…
5 Jun 3AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 22: Parents need to be wary of "taboo violations"

This "Child Protection Week", experts are warning parents to be on high alert: predators often start by breaking taboos—encouraging kids to drink, vape, or watch pornography—and it’s not always strangers who do it. HOT1027’s Tara Penny takes a closer look at how grooming begins, and how parents can "unknowingly" put…
5 Jun 1AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 16: "Career offenders are hiding in plain sight"

In a stark warning for parents and educators this "Child Protection Week", experts are raising the alarm about career offenders—predators who deliberately choose professions that bring them close to children. These criminals don’t rely on force; they rely on grooming parents, teachers, and coaches to gain access. This Child Protection…
4 Jun 1AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 15: Too much screen time, too little childhood

Excessive screen-time is affecting how our children sleep, speak, learn and behave, and experts say we need to treat it like a serious developmental concern. This Child Protection Week, we’re being reminded that caring for our children isn’t just about what we keep them away from, it’s also about what…
3 Jun 11AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 13: "We have perpetrators training other perpetrators"

As law enforcement ramps up its fight against online child abuse, predators are getting smarter—and more dangerous. During our investigation this Child Protection Week, we've heard graphic details about how criminals are staying one step ahead - turning consumers of child abuse content into producers - and even spreading their…
3 Jun 3AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 12: "Skipping the sex talk is dangerous"

This Child Protection Week, experts are sounding the alarm: if parents aren’t talking to their kids about sex, someone else is—and it’s often the wrong someone. From online predators to playground gossip, children are learning about sex from all the wrong places. And by the time most parents decide to…
3 Jun 1AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 11: Most child deaths are preventable

Researchers and healthcare workers are warning a staggering number of child deaths here in South Africa over the past 10 years could have been prevented. As part of our investigation this "Child Protection Week", we've roped in the healthcare workers at the coalface of emergencies involving children between the ages…
3 Jun 12AM 1 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 10: Raising children in a digital world

It’s Child Protection Week here in South Africa and in today’s world, there are multiple threats that face our children, and these aren’t just physical. From "AI-deep-fakes", to online predators, children are at risk in ways many parents can’t even see. HOT 1027's Natasha Thorp looks at what it takes…
2 Jun 12PM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 9: A last resort for desperate mothers

An organisation that rescues abandoned babies here in Joburg is getting a much-needed boost this Child Protection week – thanks to Hot 1027 listeners. 25 years ago, “Door of Hope” installed the world’s first modern day “Baby Saver” at the Berea Baptist Church. Since then, almost 2,000 babies have been…
2 Jun 3AM 2 min

Childhood Matters: Episode 7: When "gaming" is no longer a game

As part of our focus this Child Protection Week, an innocent past-time for children can hide dangers you might not even know about. Bullying, stalking and intimidation in online gaming are becoming more frequent, putting the most vulnerable in harm’s way. So, we're asking , what happens when it stops…
30 May 12PM 2 min
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