Child protection in Thuringia: Experts warn of digital bullying!

Child protection in Thuringia: Experts warn of digital bullying!

Jena, Deutschland - experts demand increased sensitization and better protective measures for children in digital space. Carsten Wurst, the child protection officer of the Thuringia State Medical Association, emphasizes that protection against bullying and harassment on the Internet urgently needs to be improved. Despite a better network of networking in Thuringia, the knowledge of help in schools often remains inadequate. For this reason, an action day will be held in Jena on Sunday, which is intended to encourage clubs and associations to develop their own child protection concepts.

The promotion offers are aimed primarily at specialists who work with children and young people, such as teachers and educators. Wurst emphasizes that threats about social media, including bullying, sexual harassment and sexualized violence, have to be taken seriously. Such experiences can not only be traumatizing, but also significantly impair the psychological and social development of the affected children.

The phenomenon cyberbullying

cyberbullying defines itself as bullying in the digital world and includes repeated negative actions that aim to exclude a person socially. According to Kindenschutz.ch Using freely freely accessible content from social networks to specifically offend young people to threaten or expose. This method of harassment is particularly stressful, since the content is accessible at any time and everywhere and often come from the inside of the immediate vicinity of those affected. The anonymity that the Internet offers and the possibility of creating fake profiles increase the distance between the bullies: inside and their victims, which intensifies the emotional consequences.

A particularly serious aspect of cyberbullying is its potential transmission to sexualized violence. This includes, for example, the spread of nude photos or sexist insults. The border between cyberbullying and sexual violence is often fluid and difficult for those affected.

cyber grooming and its risks

A particularly worrying form of digital threat is cyber grooming, which is defined as targeted influence on children under the age of 14 via the Internet for the initiation of sexual contacts. This form of sexual abuse is punishable in Germany, whereby the punishments may be between three months and up to ten years of deprivation of liberty depending on the severity. The Bundeskinderchutzbund emphasizes that cybergrooming occurs in social networks, online games and even messaging apps and especially affects children between the ages of 8 and 12.

The challenges in combating cyber grooming are complex. Anonymity, difficult law enforcement and the often missing degree of consciousness for the dangers are just a few of the problems. In addition, many affected shame feel and do not comment on their experiences, which makes it difficult to clarify and prevention.

A comprehensive clarification of children, adolescents, parents and teachers about the dangers on the Internet is essential. Programs such as the Internet ABC offer valuable information and supporting advice centers can help those affected to receive the necessary help.