Child Friendly Conversations Continue: Cyber Bullying

The protective and preventive activities implemented by the Directorate General of Child Services to protect children from risks continue comprehensively. The Directorate General has speeded up its efforts with various publications and awareness activities aimed at informing families and those responsible for childcare in order to protect children from risks. In this context, this month's topic of Child Friendly Conversations has been determined as Cyber Bullying. With the spread of technology and the introduction of digital media into human life, children have started to spend more time in these areas. Internet usage, which has become widespread in the light of all these developments, has also required the issues that may pose a risk for children in these channels and the measures to be taken regarding these.

Cyber Bullying Discussed

The Ministry, which aims to raise awareness of families on this subject, regularly broadcasts Child Friendly Conversations with the participation of expert guests. In our latest broadcast, the subject of "Cyber Bullying", one of the risks that children face in the digital field, has been discussed.

Expert Guests Participated

The conversation, broadcast live on the Ministry's YouTube channel, has been held with the participation of Zeliha Sağlam Director General, Prof. Dr. Osman Tolga Arıcak, Assoc. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay and Halil İbrahim İzgi.

Integrated Activities against Digital Risks

Reminding that in every country where internet use is widespread in the world, cyberbullying is among the leading risks, Zeliha Sağlam, Director General has said that the struggle against this problem area that affects children and young people should be done together.

Stating that the Ministry is carrying out integrated activities against the risks of the digital field, Sağlam has added, “We have implemented many practices on this subject. Some of them are as follows: We intervene in the content that we find to negatively affect our children in digital areas. We provide trainings for professional employees and families on digital risks and precautions. In order to guide families in choosing a book, the guides we have prepared on creating a list of books with appropriate content and using the digital field are among the main activities we have carried out on the subject.”

Hotline

Informing that there is a hotline where citizens can express their complaints about the issue, Director General Sağlam has said, “We have colleagues working in this field on a 7/24 basis with our hotline and the Intervention to Obscene Content Notification Platform that we have created in order to protect children from the damages of written, visual and digital publications. Our citizens can make reports about both cyberbullying and inappropriate content for children on our line at 530 918 11 17.

What has been discussed?

The following topics have been discussed in the conversation attended by Prof. Dr. Osman Tolga Arıcak, Assoc. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay and Halil İbrahim İzgi as guests:

• What is cyber bullying?
• What is the incidence?
• What are the most common forms?
• Why do children and the young bully cyber?
• What consequences does cyberbullying lead to when it cannot be prevented?
• What can we do as families in a preventive context?
• How do the digital world and new media environments affect communication?
• How do the internet and social media affect the communication forms of children and the young?
• What grounds do new communication forms create for cyber bullying?
• What should be done to prevent cyber bullying?
• How does the current digital culture affect communication, what are the effects on cyber bullying?
• How does the digital world affect individual and social relationships?
• What kind of a risk factor is the effects of the digital world on social life in terms of the consequences of cyber bullying?
• What kind of digital and social culture is needed to combat cyber bullying and to prevent/reduce it?

Broadcasts on YouTube Channel

The conversation with these important topics and other broadcasts of the series can be watched on YouTube channel of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services. At the same time, our participants and the topics discussed are included in the monthly e-bulletin in the field of child services.