NEWS / RESEARCH: Sexting and cyber-bullying in South Africa - A new study by UNICEF South Africa explores how SA youth deal with dangers online

A new first-of-it-kind study by UNICEF South Africa explores how the local youth deal with dangers online, as society moves further into an easily-accessible, ever-connected environment of communication.

The report was compiled after holding close to 180 in-depth focus groups at 93 schools across South Africa, covering topics including online violence, abuse, sexting, online risks and real-world consequences and dangers.

The study showed that one in five secondary-school learners have experienced some form of cyber-bullying or other violence online.

Remarkably, however, the report found “substantial” evidence that the majority of young people are aware of the risks they face online, which has allowed them to develop protective measures of their own.

full article

5 August 2013 - Protecting young people from cyber bullying (AUSTRALIA)

STUDIES / BULLYING: Cyberbullying Not as Common as Regular Bullying [STUDY]

Cyberbullying has become a critical issue in recent years thanks to the proliferation of social media, but according to new data, traditional face-to-face bullying is still far more common among today’s youth.

New research presented at the American Psychological Association’s 120th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla. found that cyberbullying — which takes place online or via a mobile phone — isn’t growing as rapidly as once thought.

“Claims by the media and researchers that cyberbullying has increased dramatically and is now the big school bullying problem are largely exaggerated,” said psychologist Dan Olweus of the University of Bergen, Norway,in a statement. “There is very little scientific support to show that cyberbullying has increased over the past five to six years, and this form of bullying is actually a less frequent phenomenon.”

full article at mashable.com

Please also watch this video from Macedonia!

OPPORTUNITIES: Video competition against cyberbullying (AUSTRALIA)

Join BackMeUp and take a stand against bullying. BackMeUp is a video competition to help eliminate cyberbullying in Australia! 

If you’re 13-17, then get snazzy with your camera and enter the competition to win an all-expenses paid trip to Sydney for a NIDA film-making course or some juicy JB HiFi vouchers.

Goodbye cyberbullying, hello Hollywood!

website

NEWS / CYBER BULLYING: Senate looks to youth for insights into cyberbullying (CANADA)

OTTAWA — The Senate human rights committee is set Monday to launch a study on cyberbullying in Canada, and is looking to hear from the experts on the subject: students.

The quick turnaround time for the study — it is scheduled to be completed by June, the end of the school year — is a secondary concern for senators who are reaching out to young people online for the first time.

The committee is turning to social media to get in touch with students nationwide and have them deliver the ideas and suggestions the committee needs to craft recommendations to the government on how to crack down and help those affected by cyberbullying.

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EVENTS / CONFERENCES: Say NO! to cyberbullying (BULGARIA)

On 27 and 28 August 2011, an international conference titled ‘Say NO! to Cyberbullying’ took place in Sofia, Bulgaria. It gathered together school principals and teachers from nine cities and towns, and representatives and experts from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The forum was jointly organised by the Madara-Bulgaria Foundation, the Department for Information and Qualification of Teachers at Sofia University and the Bulgarian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) at the Applied Research and Communications Fund.

Dr Stefania Dimitrova, Chair of the Madara-Bulgaria Foundation, presented several international studies on cyberbullying, including the EU Kids Online pan-European study from 2010. Through comparing the results, Dr Dimitrova demonstrated that, in the views of children and youth, e-violence is the most harmful risk they face online.

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NEWS / RESEARCH: Digital bullying in Norway (EUROPE)

A new survey conducted by Telenor shows that two out of three Norwegian kids have experienced digital bullying or teasing within their social circle. Yesterday marked the start of the fifth season of the "Use your head" campaign; Norway's biggest campaign against digital bullying.

The survey shows that 66 percent of children between the age of 10 to 15 have experienced digital bullying or teasing within their social circle, either on the Internet or via mobile phones. 14 percent says it's is normal to experience digital bullying.

"Every single day thousands of Norwegian children are being bullied via mobile phones or the Internet. This is unacceptable. The fight against digital bullying is a huge challenge that we have to take seriously and try to do something about," says Ragnar Kårhus, head of Telenor Norway.

full article

ARTICLES: Standing Up to Cyberbullying

How to Fight Cyberbullying

Maybe it was a joke - with a little too much of an edge. Or maybe it was an outright attack. When it comes to cyberbullying, you know it when you see it. And if your kid is the target, you'll want to do everything in your power to make it better. But as parents, teachers, school administrators, and even law enforcement officials wrestle with how to deal with cyberbullying, it's been hard to get concrete advice on what to do if it happens to your kid.

Everyone can agree that you don't want to make it worse. And while your kid may want to defend himself, it's best not to engage. The steps below can help kids defuse the situation, protect themselves, and hopefully put a stop to cyberbullying.

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NEWS / CYBER-BULLYING: US President Obama Fights Bullying on Facebook

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle popped up on Facebook to deliver a message about cyber-bullying. The video, exclusive to Facebook, serves as a promo and curtain-raiser for theWhite House Conference on Bullying Prevention, which takes place Thursday.

Facebook isn’t just the messenger, it will take an active role in the summit, along with the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and concerned students, parents and teachers. Facebook will host a Facebook DC Live event at 12:20 p.m. ET.

The live conversation will tackle how we can make the Internet safer and how to promote a shared sense of digital citizenship. It will take place across several pages on Facebook and include big-wigs from Facebook Security, MTV and the White House Office of Public Engagement.

In the video, President Obama jokes about not bugging the viewer for a friend request but instead bringing to light the upcoming conference. “This isn’t an issue that makes headlines every day, but it affects every single young person in our country,” he says in the video.

full article

NEWS: UNESCO Anticyberbullying Charter opens to other signatories

The Anticyberbullying Charter is a project organised by the Junior Language School, Prague, Czech Republic and their twin school, Elena Farago School in Bucharest, Romania.

Children of both schools monitored cyberbullying in their schools and respective countries. Then, in peer-to-peer programmes, pupils discussed the phenomenon and blogged and video-conferenced on the subject, resulting in the drafting of a bilateral charter against cyberbullying. The charter has been added to with pictograms, posters and other materials. Pupils in both schools were invited to sign the document, and so far more than 60 per cent of pupils (aged 11-15) have done this. The document was then officially signed on 10 December 2010 under the auspices of UNESCO, with various honorary guests from ministries and participating bodies.

full article - project website

NEWS / IT: Vodafone launches Digital Parenting magazine (UK)

Vodafone has published a new magazine called ‘Digital Parenting’ to help parents get to grips and get involved with their children’s digital world.

The magazine brings together experts from around the world to give parents the latest advice on digital issues, such as online reputation, location services, sexting, cyberbullying and illegal content. Parents, teenagers and grandparents also share their personal experiences and a series of ‘How to...’ tutorials guide parents through the safety and privacy controls on Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Vodafone.

“With so many parents telling us that they sometimes feel baffled by their children’s digital world, we decided to take a new approach,” comments Annie Mullins OBE, Global Head of Content Standards at Vodafone. “Our website already offers comprehensive advice about the digital issues affecting young people but some parents
still prefer paper-based information. Whatever their level of experience and expertise, this magazine will help parents to keep up with digital technologies and stay in control.”

Digital Parenting is available in hard copy and online on the Vodafone Parents’ Guide website. Free copies are being distributed to parenting groups, local education authorities and other relevant organisations. To order a copy of the magazine, please email publications@parentfocus.co.uk.

Source: Ofcom Media Literacy Bulletin Issue 39