Tips on dealing with cyberbullying on social media
The Belgian Safer Internet Centre is sharing guidelines for children and youth, parents and educators to follow in order to deal with cyberbullying incidents that may potentially arise on social media.
Cyberbullying: what can you do?
Bullying and cyberbullying often go hand in hand. School bullying is easily repeated online and continues at home. Dealing with cyberbullying is part of a global approach to fighting school bullying. It is important to establish an open conversation about the phenomenon with children and parents. To help in doing so, the Belgian Safer Internet Centre is sharing some tips below.
Online challenges on social media
New challenges occur regularly online, especially following social media trends. Their popularity among children is variable. Prevention comes through a frank and straightforward dialogue with children and youth, even among those who seem not to be interested. Challenges often unfold privately, for example, in a teenager’s bedroom, away from adults.
Child Focus and the private sector raise awareness for a secure and responsible use of internet among children
During the lockdown period, Child Focus noticed a considerable increase in online safety issues among children. In a year, non-consensual sexting and grooming cases increased by 50 per cent, and cases of sexual extortion of minors have doubled. Therefore, several companies have decided to include a commitment to a “better internet” in the goals of their corporate social responsibility.
Safer Internet Day 2021 in Belgium: act together for a better internet
Safer Internet Day, the worldwide day for a better internet, was back for its 18th edition. Turning the internet into a fun, fulfilling, and safe space is more than ever a priority during this public health crisis, where children massively use screens for social contact. An intergenerational dialogue is even more essential, as more than 60 per cent of children use the internet for more than four hours a day in Belgium. How can we facilitate this dialogue and promote a responsible and creative use of social media?
#MeToo movement in Greece inspires youth panel to influence their peers to #Speak
Following the emergence and successful spread of the #MeToo movement in Greece, the Greek Youth Panel was inspired to create a similar campaign targeted at Greek adults, children, and youth. The #Speak (#Mila) campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of sexual harassment and cyberbullying and to encourage both victims and witnesses to speak up and break the silence on those issues.
CyberSquad: Never alone, together and stronger online!
CyberSquad is a citizen movement that marks the beginning of an era showing solidarity and positivity for children and youth online. With the support of MolenGeek, Google, and Test Achats, Belgian Safer Internet Centre Child Focus launched the web platform CyberSquad, which is aimed at and elaborated on by teenagers. The goal is to offer a space to share and exchange, where they can find answers and some help related to their online concerns.
Digitalisation and climate: a guide for a more conscious life
The Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, in collaboration with the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ), translated and adapted the Austrian guide on “Digitalisation and climate: environmental awareness in the digital world." The aim is to provide "suggestions for a conscious life in the area of tension between digitalisation and climate." The motto of this publication is "Think first, then click'.
Simple ways to address disinformation and foster media literacy in your classroom
The Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Team recently wrote an article for eTwinning, the community for schools in Europe, on how education professionals can tackle disinformation and misinformation and foster media literacy in your classroom. The article is reproduced below, with permission from the eTwinning Team, and available in 29 languages on the eTwinning platform.
Focus on misinformation for Safer Internet Day in Estonia
Each year, the Estonian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) focuses on one topical issue when celebrating Safer Internet Day in Estonia. This year, Safer Internet Day paid particular attention to misinformation, and to this end, the Estonian Safer Internet Centre organised several events.
