Online bullying has been a major concern for children and parents alike. In Australia, the eSafety Commission is taking steps to combat this issue. The commission has received 1,700 cyberbullying complaints in a year and has asked social media companies to take down offensive content over 500 times. They have also used their strengthened powers to issue end user notices that require bullies to stop their actions or apologize. In addition, the agency is keeping an eye on developing technologies such as ChatGPT and artificial intelligence services with plans to take further action against global social media companies.
What Is Happening?
The eSafety Commission in Australia is taking steps to combat online bullying among children by investigating cyberbullying complaints and issuing end user notices that can compel bullies to stop their actions or apologise. The agency was established in 2015 with strengthened powers to respond more effectively to online safety issues facing Australians, including young people who are particularly vulnerable when it comes to digital technology use. According to the eSafety Commissioner, there has been a “significant increase” in the number of cyberbullying complaints this past year which has prompted them to take further action and investigate nearly 1,700 cases of cyberbullying in 2019 alone. They have also asked social media companies more than 500 times for removal of offensive content from these sites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter as well as other platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok. This shows how serious the agency is about fighting against online bullying among children in Australia.
Dealing with Cyberbullying
Online bullying, also known as cyberbullying, is a serious problem that affects a large number of children and can have serious consequences for their mental and emotional well-being. There are several steps that parents, educators, and other adults can take to combat online bullying among children:
- Educate children on online bullying: Children should be taught about the different types of online bullying, such as cyberbullying, harassment, and cyberstalking, as well as how to recognise them.
- Encourage children to speak up: If they or someone they know is being bullied online, they should be encouraged to speak up. They should be aware that they have the option of speaking with a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult.
- Monitor children’s online activity: To be aware of potential bullying, parents should monitor their children’s online activity, including their social media accounts, messaging apps, and websites they visit.
- Children should be encouraged to use privacy settings on social media and other online platforms in order to limit who can see their posts and personal information.
- Encourage positive online behaviour: By promoting kindness and respect for others, children should be encouraged to use social media and other online platforms in a positive way.
- Teach children about their digital footprint: Children should be taught the importance of leaving a positive digital footprint as well as the consequences of posting inappropriate content.
- Report cyberbullying: Parents and children should understand how to report cyberbullying to the appropriate authorities and platforms.
- Emotional support for children: Children who have been bullied online may require emotional support. Parents, educators, and other adults should be available to listen and offer assistance.
- Provide the following resources: Make available to children help and support resources such as the National Bullying Prevention Center, Cybersmile, and the Cyberbullying Research Center.
- Raise awareness: Raise awareness about online bullying in your community as well as among other parents, educators, and carers in order to create a more supportive and safe environment for children.
In addition, the eSafety commission is keeping an eye on emerging technologies such as the “metaverse” which refers to virtual worlds where users interact with each other through avatars or characters. It is also focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) services like ChatGPT which are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers who use them for entertainment purposes but could be exploited by malicious intent actors due to its anonymity feature. The agency plans on taking further action against global social media companies so they can encourage them to further crack down on child sexual exploitation before it becomes a bigger problem than it already is today.
The Australian eSafety Commission recognizes the severity of online bullying among children and is actively working towards making sure they are protected from these types of dangers while using digital platforms. They have taken various steps such as investigating 1,700 cases of cyberbullying related complaints along with asking social media companies over 500 times for removal of content believed offensive towards users within a year alone.
This shows how serious we need to be about combating this issue head-on, even if that means enforcing stronger powers to monitor the emerging technologies which could be exploited for malicious intent purposes especially when it comes to those most vulnerable – like young people under 18 years old – children who are still learning about responsible usage of digital platforms.
It’s only through collective efforts from everyone involved that we can make sure our kids stay safe while using digital technology properly without any fear of being bullied online which remains one of today’s biggest concerns when it comes our youngest generations growing up surrounded by ever-evolving technology right at their fingertips today more than ever before.