Thailand’s internet penetration rate is ranked among the top in Asean. Facebook revealed that Bangkok is Facebook's capital, with over 8.6 million accounts. Based on a survey by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), children and youth, aged from 5 to 28 years, are the group that has the highest internet penetration rate of 75% and spend 54.2 hours per week online, or close to 8 hours per day. What hurts Thai society is not only internet addiction, but also cyberbullying, in which children are both bullies and victims.
The world realises the importance of children and youth, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Children’s Rights) states that every child has the right to be protected and developed. Living in today’s digital and internet world, children must be protected and cultivated with proper and constructive use of the internet in order to avoid harassment, threats, and cyberbullying, which have become a silent threat to the community that everyone cannot ignore. The www.nobullying.com website has conducted a survey and published a report on cyberbullying in Thailand. There have been concerns and cases of cyberbullying since 2002. Although cyberbullying in Thailand is currently not as serious as in other Asian countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia, it has rapidly increased. A recent study shows that 43% out of 2,500 Thai children aged from 12 to 24 years, have been threatened or bullied online, including sharing of personal information and photos as well as distributing improper video clips via email, website and social media.
Digital Literacy for Digital Citizens
In many countries that are facing a cyberbullying epidemic, various children’s rights organisations and agencies collaborate to resolve and protect against potential violence. All countries agree that digital literacy is essential in today’s digital world. In the UK, digital literacy is part of the elementary school curriculum, equivalent to science and mathematics. Digital literacy fosters knowledge, skills and behaviours in proper and creative use of the internet. The easier children have access to the internet, the more they need digital literacy education. As a vaccine for all digital citizens, digital literacy is important for everyone including parents and teachers.
Tips to Stop Cyberbullying (Source: www.connectsafely.org)
1. Don’t respond. If someone bullies you, remember that your reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It gives him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully?
2. Don’t retaliate. Getting back at the bully turns you into one and reinforces the bully’s behaviour. Help avoid a whole cycle of aggression.
3. Save the evidence. The only good news about digital bullying is that the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You need to do this even if it’s minor stuff, in case things escalate.
4. Talk to a trusted adult. You deserve backup. It’s always good to involve a parent but — if you can’t — a school counsellor usually knows how to help. Sometimes both are needed. If you’re really nervous about saying something, see if there’s a way to report the incident anonymously at school.
5. Block the bully. If the harassment’s coming in the form of instant messages, texts, or profile comments, do yourself a favour: Use preferences or privacy tools to block the person. If it’s in chat, leave the “room.”
6. Be civil. Even if you don’t like someone, it’s a good idea to be decent and not sink to the other person’s level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
7. Don’t be a bully. How would you feel if someone harassed you? You know the old saying about walking a mile in someone’s shoes; even a few seconds of thinking about how another person might feel can put a big damper on aggression.
8. Be a friend, not a bystander. Watching or forwarding mean messages empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. If you can, tell bullies to stop or let them know harassment makes people look stupid and mean. It’s time to let bullies know their behaviour is unacceptable — cruel abuse of fellow human beings. If you can’t stop the bully, at least try to help the victim and report the behaviour.
Lars Norling, Chief Executive Officer, Total Access Communication Plc or dtac has declared its commitment to support the Children’s Rights and Business Principles in collaboration with Unicef Thailand and to express its readiness as a publicly-traded company taking social responsibility seriously by promoting children’s rights from birth, digital literacy education, and the use of the internet in a safe and constructive way under the Safe Internet project.