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Recently, the Directorate of Education (DoE) under the Delhi government has issued a circular to all schools to educate students and their parents about the safe use of the Internet and sensitise them about cyberbullying and online threats.
Background
- In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns, the number of students attending online classes has increased exponentially.
- School education has shifted from the days of learning together in safe school environments to the online mode which is not that safe.
- According to a study by the India Child Protection Fund (ICPF), the online exploitation of children has increased.
- Internet spaces are growing and multiplying, however, data security, privacy and protection are inadequate to keep a check on this.
- Increasing activities related to child sexual abuse material indicates a sharp rise in demand for online child pornography during the lockdown.
Cyberbullying
- It involves the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.
- It also involves posting pictures or videos aimed at harassing someone.
- A wide range of social platforms, including chat rooms, blogs and instant messaging are used in cyberbullying.
- Impacts
- Affects a significant number of children and adolescents and infringes their rights to education and to health and well-being.
- Negative effects on academic achievement, mental health, and quality of life in general.
- Often prevents teachers from imparting quality education through digital platforms.
- Acts against the provision of safe, non-violent and inclusive learning environments for all.
- Cyberbullying Includes
- Posting hurtful, nasty rumours or comments on updates, pictures and videos shared by an individual on websites.
- Uploading embarrassing photographs online without the person’s permission.
- Excluding individuals of different cultural, socio-economic backgrounds from online groups and forums.
- Stealing someone’s account password and sending unwanted/inappropriate messages from that account to harass other individuals.
- It is a punishable offence under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Recommendations and Way Forward
- It is imperative to make children and their parents aware of the safe use of the Internet.
- It is essential that everyone is aware of the risks that could be associated with being connected to the Internet.
- Schools should refer to and share guidelines on “Safe Online Learning in Times of Covid-19” which were jointly developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
- The booklet of guidelines is aimed to sanitise the digital space and ensure that all stakeholders including teachers, students, and parents are safe as moved to digital modes.
- Prevention and Countering Cyberbullying
- Do not respond: After being bullied, a person must not respond or retaliate by doing the same thing as it may make matters worse.
- Collect as much information as possible: A person should take a screenshot and keep a record of it.
- Block and report: One should block the offender and report on the social media platform immediately, which is available on most online platforms.
- Talk about it: Trusted adults like parents and teachers should be informed about the bullying incident.
- Be private: Social media privacy settings should be kept high and connections should not be established with people not known offline.
- Be aware: A person should remain updated with all the preventive and security measures in the cyber world.
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National Council of Educational Research and Training
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
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