Cyberbullying is a ‘psychologically devastating form of cruelty’
MORE than 60% of children and adolescents surveyed in South Africa have said cyberbullying was worse than faceto-face bullying.
And at least one in four children have reported being bullied at least once, with 43% having been victims of cyberbullying.
Pinky Kekana, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, was addressing a webinar on Friday when she cited the statistics.
The virtual event, titled Cyberbullying: The Impact of Cyberbullying Amongst the Youth, was hosted by the Government Communication and Information System in partnership with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the National Press Club. Unicef Media Monitoring Africa and the Department of Justice were also on the panel.
Kekana said cyberbullying was still bullying. She said the long-term mental health implications for victims made it a psychologically devastating form of cruelty.
“According to the South African College of Applied Psychology, more than 60% of children and adolescents surveyed in South Africa agreed that cyberbullying was worse than bullying face-to-face. The sad reality is that at least one in four kids have been bullied more than once, with 43% of kids having fallen prey to cyberbullying.”
Kekana said 70% of cyberbullying activities happened over Facebook and that in the last quarter of 2020, Facebook had removed 22.1 million pieces of content with hate speech. This was more than double the 9.6 million they removed in the first quarter of 2020. The social network defines hate speech as a direct attack on people based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disease, social status or disability.
“There is little doubt that cyberbullying is traumatic. One-third of students who were bullied online reported symptoms of depression, a figure which rose to nearly half for those who experienced both online and off-line bullying. If there is such high awareness (at 88%), it is obviously not awareness that is needed, but rather the way to deal with bullying. We definitely also need more regulation around cyberbullying.”
Responsibility
Kekana said people needed to understand how bullies become who they are.
“Their motives for lashing out in cyberspace can run the gamut from anger and revenge to a longing to fit in, or maybe they’re just power hungry, or bored. Most bullies believe they won’t get caught and they honestly think everyone is doing it.
“Our responsibility as parents is that we have to keep reinforcing the message of intolerance of bullying in general. Let’s not assume that our children are completely innocent always. Make sure they know how cyberbullying makes people feel. By instilling empathy and empowering them to make good choices, you will reduce the likelihood that they will engage in this damaging behaviour.
“On the other end of the spectrum, it’s also important to teach children about how to stand up to, or deal with the bullies. There is a rule that we should teach children so they become responsible digital citizens: if you can’t say it to someone’s face, then don’t post it.”
Violence
Muriel Mafico, the Unicef deputy representative in South Africa, said cyberbullying needed to be viewed in the broader context of violence, with an understanding of the connection between cyberspace and physical spaces.
“One in three South African children experience some sought of violence before they turn 18. Often this takes place at home, in schools and communities. Often this happens in online spaces. While we encourage the opportunities that come with digital advancements, it is also some digital tools that maximise exposure to myriad risks.”
Mafico said cyberbullying was often an extension of bullying that occurred off-line and at the hand of peers, such as at school.
“The rapidly developing digital space has drastically altered how we see child protection. With the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapid increase of young people online for learning and for socialising, this has included a rapid increase in cyberbullying.”
She said cyberbullying could torment victims 24 hours a day.
“It can invade private spaces. Not even your home feels safe. During a global survey in 2019, one in three children confirmed they were the victims of cyberbullying. One in five confirmed they had to skip school at one time because of cyberbullying.”
Mafico said research showed that people who were bullied sometimes ended up being bullies and that there were negative recourses that victims resorted to: “Alcohol and drug abuse. In extreme cases, it can lead to self-harm and even suicide.
“But the good news is that ending cyberbullying and online violence is in our hands. But this will require the whole of society to respond. From the government to society, to the digital and technology sector to children themselves … and parents.”
Mafico said children should have access to information to empower them about bullying whether online or offline: “Teach them to be a generation of responsible digital citizens.”
She said parents needed to model the correct positive behaviour and to understand the technologies children use.