Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1122280
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 MAY 2019 NEWS LAURA CALLEJA CYBERBULLYING is a phe- nomenon that has become fairly common in the digital age. Taking place over devices like mobiles, computers and tab- lets, cyberbullying can occur through SMSes, apps, social media and online fora, and also gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. It's a worrying trend that's on the rise, Deborah Vassallo, a hotline administrator at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, says, especially among young internet users. Statistics from the European Parliament revealed that persons between the ages of 13 and 15 are the most likely to experience cyber- bullying. The BeSmartOnline! project was created to try and combat this rising phenomenon by rais- ing awareness and educating minors, carers, and educators on how to use the internet safe- ly, while also supporting respec- tive victims. The project works in direct collaboration with Agenzija Sedqa, the national anti-addiction agency, and acts as an advisor for the Stay Safe programme on wise use of tech- nology in work-based settings. Vassallo recounts one of the most striking situations her unit had ever encountered. "We had one boy who was be- ing cyberbullied on social media by peers, shortly after his father had passed away. They set up fake Facebook profiles, in or- der to torment him. They made fun of his father's death, writing messages to tell him that his en- tire family was going to die." The abuse was reported to her unit, which took control of the situation. "We contacted the boy's school immediately, as well as his rela- tives. When we confronted him, he tried to put on a brave face, but we could tell the situation was weighing heavily on him, he had tears in his eyes as he tried to downplay the situation. Kids may not understand the impact their actions are having, but this sort of bullying can follow in- dividuals through to adulthood and beyond." The Stay Safe program has Vassallo's unit reach out to par- ents, a difficult challenge since it was set up eight years ago. "Through this initiative, we are now able to meet up with par- ents and make them aware of cyberbullying, sexting, and oth- er safety issues online." In many cases, parents tend not to be aware of this threat to children, and the programme presents an opportunity to ed- ucate them. Sedqa prevention executive Josianne Azzopardi, says the programme has al- ready reached over 600 people across the island. Another worrying trend af- fecting girls primarily are sex- ting episodes. Sexting, bullying, harassment, and humiliation occur when photos and mes- sages get shared beyond the intended recipients, also result- ing in the distribution of child pornography. "We've had situations were underage girls have sent pho- tos to boys they liked – many of them underage themselves – in their underwear, or worse. Those boys, either with the intent to hurt, or merely to brag, then sent those photos to friends and usually from there the whole situation snowballs out of control," Vassallo said. Even if the distributors of the photos were underage them- selves, they can still be held responsible for distributing child pornography if the victim is under 18. "Most of the time, working with social media plat- forms such as Facebook, Insta- gram, and WhatsApp among others, we are able to get pho- tos removed. However, youths need to be made aware that the internet is permanent." Tips to be smart online Vassallo says one of the big- gest problems are kids who are likely to post everything about themselves online. "Unfortu- nately, the more information you give out online, the more information someone with du- bious intentions can use against you. For example, if someone is envious of me, they could try and make my life difficult by using information or pictures I have put up online." Vassallo suggests sharing the bare minimum, and making sure profiles are not open for anyone to see, regardless of who they are. She also advises not to answer back when dealing with cy- berbullies. "Persons, and more specifically, children, may be tempted to retaliate if they are being bullied, usually because they are hurt by the things that are said about them. It usually ends up with the victim bullying the person back, usually using offensive language. So, we end up with cases where we were looking at the chat and we're asking ourselves who was the real bully." Vassallo is hesitant about sug- gesting more restrictive practic- es. She adds that parents should be checking their children's phones, especially with younger children. "It's all about trust. I'm not going to advise anyone to go behind their children's back, but rather to have a conversation with them. Build the channels of trust so that if it does happen the child feels safe enough to approach the parents about the situation." CAREER OPPORTUNITY Lands Authority is seeking applications from interested persons to fill the following position: Senior Professional Officer - Lawyer Jobplus Permit Number – 131/2019 ESSENTIAL Qualifications In possession of a law degree and a valid warrant to practise as an Advocate in the courts of Malta and Gozo WE ARE RECRUITING https://landsauthority.org.mt/about-us/careers/ Experience Having previously worked in other legal roles will be considered an asset Interested persons are kindly requested to submit a letter of application and a detailed CV only by email, as one pdf document to: hr.la@landsauthority.org.mt by Monday 3rd June 2019. Emails are to indicate the position being applied for and the name of the applicant in the subject. Applications will be acknowledged and treated in strictest confidence. For more information visit the link below: Children are not aware enough of the permanence of the Internet: without responsibility, they could be carving a social media life they might regret in the future Why children need protecting from web's dark side