Young People Archives - Online Safety Commission Fiji

Stop The Spread

Rashika Chandra — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 01:00:04 +0000

The Commission strongly condemns sharing explicit content on social media platforms. Sharing such content without consent is sexual harassment.

We’ve witnessed the rise of reports of online abuse in recent months compared to our past two years and it is evident that intimate videos and images are widely shared on message platforms.

It’s important to know that you can stop it if it is shared with you simply by not continuing the cycle. By sharing such content you are actively enabling sexual abuse and harassment.

Don’t share it, report it using tools on the social media or messenger platform and then report the matter to the police immediately.

The OSC works intimately with law enforcement to bolster online safety. Programmes such as our Online Champions workshops have provided community leaders, university students and parents with the opportunity to talk about what someone is watching, playing or simply scrolling past on their digital devices.

While this is another example of how abusers can use technology perversely, we urge communities and online citizens to take a stand against sharing nonconsented images or video. Remember: report it, block it, do not share it

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Digital Citizen

Rashika Chandra — Fri, 21 May 2021 08:59:16 +0000

Did you know?

That you are a digital citizen, using the internet regularly and effectively makes you a citizen of this digital space. And we are so glad that you could help bring Fiji's Bula Spirit to this space!

So how can you be a good digital citizen? Check out these few easy tips:

Have a strong password. How do you know if it's strong? It's more than 8 characters. It's using lower and upper case letters. It has number and even symbols like @. But make sure that you don't write it down because other people might find it.
Stranger danger. Keep a look out for profiles that are not who they claim to be. Having lots of friends is great and being a good digital citizen means knowing who you friends are both online and offline. So double check no matter what.
Skip the unknown links. Scams and hackers sometimes send links saying things like "this looks like you" or "I thought this was you", don't click on it. It is not you, it's a scam. Remove and delete it immediately. Even if it is coming from someone you talk to online regularly.

You, your friends and your family can be good digital citizens today. Bring your Bula Spirit with you on your digital profiles. Fiji is for safer internet, and you can do your part by being a good digital citizen right now!

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#Stopthespread of online bullying

web_admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 17:25:58 +0000

Online bullying has some of the most devastating effects on children and teens around the globe:

only 38% of children admit to their parents/guardians that they have been bullied online;
33% of teens say they have sent explicit photos to someone else;
more than 60% of children that have been harassed online have mental health issues; and
more than 60% of female victims feel powerless because of online bullying

On a global level we see how such online abuse effects children of all ages. Across the central division in Fiji many students have also indicate experiencing online bullying at least once this year.

Children may not want to tell you if they are being bullied but here are some signs to look out for:

Rapid increase or decrease in weight;
Severe mood swings;
Losing interesting in being around family and friends;
Not wanting to go online anymore;

These changes are often subtle but vigilance is key. And having open dialogue about online safety and responsibility with your child is important.

What can I do to help?

Remember to remain calm and have an open conversation with your child. Let them know that they are not alone. Set up screen time and allow them to only use the devices in a common area such as the living room.

Fijians value community and we can express this same value in our online communities. Social media apps like Facebook give us an opportunity to build virtually any community we like. And this starts at home, stop the spread of online bullying by talking to your children today.

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