UNESCO warns of increased cases of cyberbullying
Fight against an enemy that hides and that it is easy to go unnoticed is very difficult. This is one of the problems when it comes to combating cyberbullying: the internet allows these cases to be hidden both by the harasser and the victim, since there are no witnesses when carried out within a private sphere.
Unfortunately with the increase of the internet connection the cases of cyberbullying have increased as suggested by UNESCO in its report "Ending the Torment: Tackling bullying from the schoolyard to cyberspace"The data of this work are clear in this regard: in recent years the cases of this type of harassment in the network have grown.
Cyberbullying is too widespread
To get this data UNESCO crossed the data over 100,000 students from 19 countries around the world. They were asked about their relationship with cyberbullying: if they have suffered, if they have witnessed Some case, if they have exercised it, if they have reported it, etc. What is most surprising about this study is that at least two thirds of the participating students answered that they had been harassed on the Internet on occasion.
On the other hand a 8% of students Respondents revealed that they suffer from cyberbullying almost daily and that this problem is common in them. Something that surprises even more when verifying that 9 out of 10 students affirm that this harassment is very serious and that they condemn it categorically. That is to say, there is an idea of what this type of violence can suppose but it is still exercised in spite of everything.
Proliferation of cyberbullying on the Internet
The increase in cases of cyberbullying is explained by UNESCO for one simple reason: Internet connection devices have grown and the network is very present in all these homes. "They have lasted the last three years, they have increased 87% complaints about this form of harassment throughout the world. The lack of resources and that is still invisible for teachers and schools hinders their solution, "say the authors of this study.
A day in Europe at least 80% of the young population between 5 and 14 years old has a smartphone with internet connection. An instrument from which you can both perform cyberbullying and receive it and, what is more important, hide these cases because, unlike the computer, this device is not in a common place from which it can be monitored. It is therefore not surprising that this form of harassment has gone from 8% in 2010 to 12% according to the latest data.
Cyberbullying more difficult to detect than classroom bullying
While the harassment that happens in a classroom can easily detected, this modality is very difficult to appreciate. Which makes anyone can be a victim of this cyberbullying. Creating a false profile on social networks and entering to find their partners and torture them with insults and other types of harassment is not something that costs a lot of work to people.
For this reason it is remembered parents and teachers the need to educate as best as possible about new technologies. Children must be transferred to what is in their hands is an instrument of communication, not a toy, so they must treat it responsibly. You also have to make sure that you do not spend all day with your mobile or your computer. Another control instrument is to create a profile in social networks and closely monitor the activity of the child.
Damián Montero
