Empowering people to act against cyberbullying scourge

EMPOWERING adults in the frontline as well as children to act against cyberbullying was the ultimate solution towards eradicating the scourge.

This emerged from a discussion hosted by the GCIS in partnership with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the National Press Club in Pretoria yesterday.

Speakers explained that while cyberbullying took a slightly different form to that which is manifested on social media, it was an extension of bullying.

“It needs to be viewed in the wider context of violence,” UN Children’s Fund’s deputy representative in South Africa Murial Mafico said.

She emphasised the psychological impact of cyberbullying was wideranging and stemmed from violence, as one in three children admitted to having experienced some form of violence before they turned 18.

They experience it in places considered safe, like home, school, and their communities.

“Cyberbullying happens on a daily basis. In South Africa bullying, harassment and other peer to peer harassment is big and is often an extension of bullying which happens offline – they feed into each other and form a horrible continuum.

“The rapidly accelerating digital world has its impact; when once it was physical it has moved online,” said Mafico. Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Pinky Kekana said in an effort to eliminate cyberbullying, popular online platform Tik Tok in the 48 hours preceding the discussion was sued over how it collected and used children’s data on behalf of children in the UK.

“They found 48% of children between eight to 12 had used the platform despite under-13s being forbidden there.

“There is a version for under-13 but this had not been ensured.”

Kekana said a recent study by the Film and Publication Board had found that when they watched violence, some children from all settings – rural, urban, high and primary schools – admitted to becoming violent.

“South Africans have a good understanding of cyberbullying, which, unlike real life bullying, takes the form of anonymity and the ability to spread rumours and spread untruths via videos, pictures and other content, online.

“The long term effects are devastating on the welfare of the victim, as they do not only suffer at that time … it is cruelty that lasts long beyond childhood.”

Kekana said a study had also shown more than 60% of children and adolescents interviewed agreed it was worse than face-to-face bullying, with some saying victims were often bullied more than once, and the truth that 70% of cyberbullying happens on Facebook.

“It has escalated, and stats show we live with many hateful human beings. Hate is our current pain,” she said.

“It is safe to say we are a nation consumed by hate. As adults let us be better, and be intentional in our goals to deal with it.”