UNICEF warned today of the dangers posed by online violence, cyberbullying and digital harassment for the 70.6 per cent
of young people aged 15 to 24 years old who are online globally, and called for concerted action to tackle and prevent
violence against children and young people online.
The call, made on Safer Internet Day, comes following a recent UNICEF poll of young people, which received more than 1 million responses over five weeks
from more than 160 countries, and suggestions from a series of student-led #ENDviolence Youth Talks held around the
world. In it, young people provided thoughtful responses about what they and their parents, teachers and policymakers
could do to keep them safe -- and kindness stood out as one of the most powerful means to prevent bullying and
cyberbullying.
“We’ve heard from children and young people from around the globe and what they are saying is clear: The Internet has
become a kindness desert,” said UNICEF Pacific Representative, Sheldon Yett. “That’s why this Safer Internet Day, UNICEF
is inviting everyone, young and old, to be kind online, and calling for greater action to make the Internet a safer
place for everyone.”
The Internet has become a fixture of young people’s lives regardless of income level. According to the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU), while 94 per cent of young people aged 15-24 in developed countries are online, more
than 65 per cent of young people in developing countries are online. This is well ahead of the pace of Internet usage
among the general population. Worldwide, half of the total population, regardless of age, is online.
This online proliferation comes with increased risk. According to data from UNESCO on the prevalence of cyberbullying in
high income countries, the proportion of children and adolescents who are affected by cyberbullying ranges from 5 per
cent to 21 per cent, with girls appearing to be more likely to experience cyberbullying than boys.
Cyberbullying can cause profound harm as it can quickly reach a wide audience, and can remain accessible online
indefinitely, virtually ‘following’ its victims online for life. Bullying and cyberbullying feed into each other,
forming a continuum of damaging behaviour. Victims of cyberbullying are more likely to use alcohol and drugs and skip
school than other students. They also are more likely to receive poor grades and experience low self-esteem and health
problems. In extreme situations, cyberbullying has led to suicide. On Safer Internet Day, UNICEF is reminding everyone
that kindness – both online and off – is a responsibility that begins with each of us.
In the Pacific islands, a government survey in Tonga in 2017 showed that 42 per cent of adolescents and youth
experienced cruelty and mean behaviour online, with 59 per cent of these young people female.
UNICEF worked with the Government of Tonga last year to deliver cyber safety programmes, which included outreach
activities in schools and communities to raise awareness amongst children and young people, as well as to promote
dialogue between children and adolescents and their parents, and to provide tips to parents as to how to protect their
children from harmful online activities. An annual event was also held to help key decision-makers and the general
public better understand their roles in creating a safer digital world for young people in Tonga.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF is also calling for renewed urgency and cooperation to put children’s rights at the forefront of digital
efforts. As part of this, UNICEF is implementing programs to leverage the internet’s promise of connectivity and
education on behalf of the world’s children. For example, UNICEF’s Internet of Good Things aims to bridge the digital divide and build knowledge in societies by hosting mobile-packaged content designed to make
life-saving and life-improving information available for free, even on low-end devices.
“Thirty years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the creation of the Internet, it is
time for governments, families, academia and the private sector to put children and young people at the centre of
digital policies," said Yett. “By protecting them from the worst the Internet has to offer and expanding access to its
best, we can each help tip the balance for good.”