Save the Children Hong Kong, in collaboration with a research team from the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong, will conduct a large-scale "Hong Kong Children Online" research report in primary and secondary schools from 2020 to 2021.
The survey results are worrying, with 40% of youth being forced to accept online nudity or sexual requests, and one in five youths experiencing cyberbullying.
Teachers in secondary schools and primary schools have different views and demands on this, and even point out the difficulties of being a teacher, but they also hope that the government will go one step further for students, provide appropriate support, and protect the youth and children in Hong Kong.
Written by: Save the Children Hong Kong
Save the Children Hong Kong, in collaboration with a research team from the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong, will conduct a large-scale "Hong Kong Children Online" research report in primary and secondary schools from 2020 to 2021.
The survey results are worrying, with 40% of youth being forced to accept online nudity or sexual requests, and one in five youths experiencing cyberbullying.
(File photo/Photo by Lu Ningmin)
This "Hong Kong Kids Online" research report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the risks children face on the Internet, and recommends how to keep children safe online.
The "Hong Kong Kids Online" research report surveyed more than 1,300 children and adolescents from different social and economic backgrounds, ranging in age from 8 to 17, and conducted in-depth interviews with secondary school students.
The survey results show that adolescents are facing major cybersecurity risks, and parents, schools and governments need to actively improve adolescent and child protection measures to protect adolescents and children from harm.
Four in 10 secondary school students have experienced virtual sexual harassment at least once in the past year, including unwillingly receiving online sexual nudity, sexual solicitation or sexual experience, equivalent to more than 130,000 secondary school students in Hong Kong.
In addition, one in five Hong Kong children suffered cyberbullying last year.
There are many forms of cyberbullying, including posting offensive photos and messages online, excluding others from social circles online, and misusing someone's identity without consent.
Middle school teachers think research report reflects reality
Ms. Ou (pseudonym), who works in a middle school, was not surprised at all after reading the research report. She also believed that the content of the report was close to reality. She said: "From my experience with students, I know that there are many similar situations, such as rumors about a certain Pregnancy and even abortion require school management to intervene. Those who are bullied are usually isolated, and in severe cases even have self-harm and suicidal tendencies.” Teacher District said: “Among my students, many spend long hours every day. Internet access, especially watching cartoons and playing video games online, will also learn many new things from the Internet, such as finding online materials to increase knowledge and improve learning performance. Mastering the application of software can not only increase students’ skills, but also help them in the future. It is used in the workplace. For them, the Internet is like a daily meal, which is indispensable." The Internet provides young people with a platform for online learning and self-expression, so it is very important to create a safe online ecosystem for young people.
According to research reports, 1 in 5 people are bullied online.
She believes that cyberbullying is very serious, even worse than real-world school bullying.
According to her daily observation, children who have been abused or neglected in real life have a greater chance of encountering adverse sexual experiences online.
Ms. Ou said that the young victims she came into contact with lacked the care of others in their lives, so they roamed the Internet to seek the approval and support of others, so they were prone to fall into traps or be tempted.
According to the research report of "Hong Kong Children Online", 4 out of 10 middle school students have experienced virtual sexual harassment at least once in the past year, including unwillingly receiving online sexual nudity, sexual seduction or sexual experience, which is equivalent to more than 130,000 Hong Kong secondary school students.
(Jay Wennington/Unsplash)
Hope the government will appoint a child cyber safety commissioner to deal with it
District teacher said that if the school she teaches receives reports of online sexual harassment, online bullying, and unwilling online sexual experiences, the school will generally refer it to a counselor or social worker to follow up.
She lamented, "Teachers are busy with teaching and dealing with administrative matters, and they have taken up most of their time. There are too many things to juggle, such as preparing lessons, correcting homework, conducting extracurricular activities, dealing with students' behavioral and emotional problems, etc. The overwhelming work is really overwhelming. It makes it difficult for us to focus on dealing with students' online risks; moreover, not all teachers are familiar with the online world and have enough knowledge to teach students how to deal with these online risks and deal with suspicious cases. As a teacher, even if you want to help, you may not be able to go help."
The district teacher suggested referring to the government's arrangement for SEN (special education needs) students, and having special packages and sending teachers to support them.
She hopes that the government will allocate more resources, appoint children's cybersecurity specialists to regularly go to schools to promote cybersecurity, and deal with the emotions of affected students from various aspects, so as to solve the dilemma of insufficient school resources.
Primary school teacher Lai said that the investigation can give the public a sense of alarm and prevent incidents from happening in advance.
(Image courtesy of Save the Children)
The school has certain guidelines and procedures
Teacher Lai, a primary school teacher, said, "The school I teach will arrange information literacy education for senior students in computer classes. In addition, the school promotes positive education, so teachers will use positive language to communicate with students in and outside of class, and teach Students will be on the topic of empathy and emotional counseling. Teachers will also teach students to protect personal privacy, values and media literacy through General Studies and Computer Science.”
The school will also promote and encourage students to participate in activities or competitions on related topics such as online ethics and cyber security, and will arrange for students to use electronic tools to design posters and slogans on related topics in the computer class. Man's request to say no.
In addition, the school will distribute booklets produced by accredited institutions to enhance students' awareness of cybersecurity, and publish cybersecurity lectures or reference materials to parents through the intranet, such as teaching children to be safe online, preventing cyberbullying, preventing cyber addiction, Install antivirus software, ways to filter unwanted websites, etc.
Save the Children Hong Kong proposes the establishment of a child cybersecurity officer and an independent agency dedicated to cybersecurity in Hong Kong to provide child-friendly assistance and complaint mechanisms for cyberbullying, online child sexual exploitation and abuse cases, and formulate regulations for cybersecurity , guidelines and public resources.
(file picture)
I hope the government will give more support
Mr. Lai hopes the government can make some short films for parents to explain the risks in the online world with interesting animations.
Systematically give the school a year-round support, including lectures, online sharing, and workshops, so that the school can pass on this information to parents and students.
Regarding the research report of "Hong Kong Children's Online", she said: "This report can give the public a vigilance and prevent the occurrence of incidents in advance."
Save the Children Hong Kong proposes the establishment of a child cybersecurity officer and an independent agency dedicated to cybersecurity in Hong Kong to provide child-friendly assistance and complaint mechanisms for cyberbullying, online child sexual exploitation and abuse cases, and formulate regulations for cybersecurity , guidelines and public resources.
At the same time, it is recommended that the government provide appropriate training to teachers and social workers so that they have the knowledge to identify, intervene and handle suspicious cases, and support educational institutions to provide children and young people with online safety skills and rules.
Parents can set Internet use rules and regulations for their children
For parents and caregivers, as parents often encourage children to explore the Internet world and teach them how to stay safe online, children generally have less chance of involuntary sexual encounters online.
Research by Save the Children Hong Kong found that as long as parents set rules and codes for children's use of the Internet and require them to obtain prior consent for certain online activities, there is a positive association with a reduced risk of cyberbullying.
Parents and carers can discuss with children the ground rules for using electronic products and learn how to block certain websites and content on a child's device if necessary.
The most important thing is to be there, listen and provide support.
If children encounter problems in the online world, please take them seriously and seek guidance from professionals such as school teachers or school social workers.
The survey revealed that 40% of the interviewed teenagers had been subjected to virtual sexual harassment, 1 out of 5 children was bullied by cyberbullying at school | 1/4 of the interviewed students were worried about being bullied or had been subjected to violence: there is always one case of bullying from a nearby child party│Sheung Shui Cheung Lung Wai Village Girl Slapped Case SWD has approached the victim girl to understand her needs
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