With the return to school and immediately, fears that we left parked on school vacations reappear. One of them, without a doubt, is bullying, and more specifically cyberbullying, which is the way students haters harass their classmates.
This is demonstrated by the latest report of the Foundation for Children and Adolescents at Risk (ANAR), which states that “one in four cases of bullying is cyberbullying, one in three from the age of 13 ”.
To know what we can do to combat it, we speak with the experts of 'Stop Haters', the first Spanish non-profit association against harassment on the Internet.
Spain is, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), one of the countries where children suffer most cyberbullying, especially adolescents aged 13 years. In fact, we are in seventh place among 42 countries in Europe and North America. In addition, the study warns of the risk of depression and suicide as a result of the so-called 'cyberbullying'.
The latest study on Cyberbullying, prepared by the ANAR Foundation and the Mutua Madrileña Foundation reveals that:
One in four cases of bullying is cyberbullying. From the age of 13, it is one in three cases.
Girls suffer much more this type of abuse than boys (70 -30%).
The average age at which it usually begins to be practiced is at 13 years.
The platform most used by stalkers is WhatsApp (81%).
Most of the victims are of Spanish nationality and belong to conventional families without economic problems (in 86% of cases).
Stalkers usually study in the same school as their victims.
30.6% of cyberbullying is linked to physical aggressions.
Most victims do not ask for help from an adult until the school year has elapsed (usually, parents).
Why do haters succeed?
To learn more about this phenomenon that affects our children so directly, we wanted to talk to 'Stop haters', the first Spanish non-profit association against harassment on the Internet of which he is vice president and godfather Pedro García Aguado, known for his program TV show 'Big Brother'.
The organization aims to provide free assistance to all cyberbullying victims and is made up of lawyers, computer scientists and a team of psychologists who selflessly advise anyone who is suffering from this harassment, including, of course, children and adolescents.
According to these experts:
“The key to his triumph is in social networks, a means of communication used by a huge percentage of the younger and younger population. It is a very easy way to harass or attack, given its nuance of anonymity and the feeling of having a group of people who share opinion or action. You have to understand that group cohesion favors integration. "
Why this eagerness to always go against everything?
In general Haters are people or children with problems to integrate, narcissistic personalities or many complexes. With the harassment of others, they reduce their shortcomings.
In all societies there have always been manifestations of hatred, envy, of grouping against others for being different. What social networks have done is enhance and facilitate these behaviors.
What hides behind cyberbullying?
In the case of minors and schools, we have to start from the base (sad, certainly) that harassment of other minors has always existed, whether for racial, physical or psychic reasons.
The problem we have encountered with the Internet and its tools is that, what we call 'bullying', just 10 years ago lasted what the teaching hours lasted, now stays 24 hours, seven days a week.
Now it even intensifies outside of school hours, because the Network empowers. What the bullies at school / institute do not dare to say, they do on Instagram or Snapchat, which causes the victim to not forget the vicious circle in which he is unfortunately.
Consider as a factor that encourages these ways of damaging, that we all laugh at memes and jokes on the Internet, when a photo of Rajoy or Messi arrives on WhatsApp with a tease, therefore, Children are not understanding that laughing at someone is cruel And it can even be a crime.
How to educate our children?
We must encourage respect for others, teach them what is tolerance, kindness and help to those around us. We have to educate them in values to prevent bullying. But for that, it takes time, and many parents, because of their jobs, do not have everything a child needs to understand these concepts.
We can start by closely monitoring your Internet immersion, since they start playing with electronic devices. You have to establish parental control, strictly mark the time that the child will navigate and teach that behind the screens what there are are people of flesh and blood, who suffer, cry, eat and sleep like us. Internet breaks the concept of user customization.
Parental control is a basic pillar to curb cyberbullying and, for it to be effective, parents must know the means, tools and networks where children move freely. It is essential to educate parents also in the world of the network.Just one more fact to conclude that should make us reflect: a survey conducted by the Save the Children Foundation to more than 21,000 Spanish children, revealed that half of them acknowledged having performed cyberbullying on some occasion and many of them acknowledged not knowing why they did it.
It is clear that we must change these figures. And as of today, better than tomorrow.
More information Free and confidential telephone of the ANAR Foundation, Help children and adolescents at risk. 900 20 20 10. 24 hours, 365 days a year.
Photos | iStock
