Digital platforms must be free from cyberbullying if learners are to get quality education
Recognizing that school-related violence is a violation of children’s right to education and health and well-being, UNESCO member states have declared the first Thursday of November as the International Day against Violence and Bullying in Schools, including cyberbullying. Including threats. It aims to raise awareness about the problem of online violence and cyberbullying among students, parents, members of the school community, education officials and others.
In India, an estimated 71 million children aged 5-11 years use the Internet on their family members’ devices, which is about 14% of the country’s active Internet user base of over 500 million. It should also be noted that two-thirds of internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 years.
dealing with all forms of bullying
School closures as a response to the COVID-19 lockdown have led to an unprecedented increase in non-screen monitoring time for children and youth, which in turn has exposed them to greater risk of online violence. Various reports have indicated an increase in incidents of cyberbullying and online child sexual abuse by adults.
Similarly, there is increasing scientific evidence to suggest that cyberbullying has negative effects on the education, health and well-being of children and young people. Published in 2019 and drawing on data from 144 countries, the UNESCO report ‘Behind the Numbers: Ending School Violence and Bullying’ highlights the extent of the problem, with nearly one in three students worldwide having at least one student in the past month. Threatened once. Therefore, cyberbullying prevention interventions should aim to tackle all forms of bullying and harassment experiences at the same time, as opposed to each in silos.
Effective interventions also require gender-sensitive and targeted approaches that respond to the needs of learners who are most likely to be victims of online violence. A 2020 study by Plan International, which included 14,000 women aged 15-25 from 22 countries, revealed that 58% of girls in the Asia-Pacific region reported online harassment. Globally, of harassed girls, 14% who identified themselves as having a disability and 37% who identified themselves as an ethnic minority, said they were harassed because of it.
The effects of online sexual harassment can have long-term negative effects on mental health and well-being. Data on school bullying demonstrates its detrimental effects on students’ educational outcomes, mental health and quality of life. Children who are bullied frequently are nearly three times more likely to feel left out in school than children who are not. They are twice as likely to drop out of school and more likely to drop out of formal education after finishing secondary school.
deal with danger
Although online violence is not limited to school premises, the education system plays an important role in addressing online safety. Concerted efforts should be made to provide children and youth with the knowledge and skills to identify online violence so that they can protect themselves from its various forms, whether perpetrated by peers or adults. Teachers play an important role in teaching students about online safety, and thus supporting parental involvement.
For those looking to prevent and combat cyberbullying, the information booklet brought out by UNESCO in partnership with NCERT on Safe Online Learning in the Times of COVID-19 can be a useful reference. It supports the creation of a secure digital space and addresses the nuances of security. Similarly, to prevent the adverse effects of online gaming and the psycho-emotional stress caused to children, the Department of School Education and Literacy has circulated exhaustive guidelines for raising awareness of children and parents.
At a time when online bullying is taking place due to the COVID-19 lockdown, we must redouble our efforts to tackle this menace. Cyberbullying can happen in the virtual world, but it has a very real impact on children’s health. The Union Ministry of Education and UNESCO are committed to ensuring access to a safe, inclusive and health-promoting learning environment for all children.
If learners are to receive quality education, it is essential that digital and social media platforms are free from cyberbullying. More importantly, confidential reporting and redressal services should be established. We encourage students, parents, schools, education officials, members of the education community and its partners to participate in preventing online violence and promoting the safety and well-being of youth.
Santosh Sarangi is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Government of India and Eric Falt is the Director of UNESCO New Delhi
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