More children at risk from online violence, bullying

MANILA, Philippines — Children’s rights and welfare groups have sounded the alarm against the increasing risk of online violence, bullying and discrimination.

A report on the status of children worldwide, titled “Second Revolution: 30 years of child rights and the unfinished agenda,” said new risks emerge even as the situation of children generally improved three decades after the passage of the Convention on the Rights of a Child in 1989.

“As access to the internet expands, online violence is a growing concern for children around the world… Risks include bullying and discrimination, often with a gender dimension; grooming for sexual exploitation; and sharing of extreme content, including pornography and violent images,” the report released yesterday read.

“Although the relationship between online and offline violence is debated, there is evidence that online abuse creates a permissive atmosphere in which physical violence can be more easily triggered,” it added.

Save the Children Philippines called on parents and teachers to strengthen face-to-face interaction with children amid rising cases of violence and bullying against minors in digital platforms such as social media.

It cited the National Baseline Survey on Violence against Children showing that close to half of Filipino children aged 13-17 have experienced at least one incident of cyber violence.

“Children need to grow in a nurturing environment with love and acceptance at home and in schools, where they spend most of their growing years,” its chief executive officer Alberto Muyot said.

The Second Revolution report highlights the most urgent, critical and transformative child rights issues 30 years after the signing of the Convention on the Rights of a Child.

It was produced by various rights and welfare organizations, including ChildFund Alliance, Plan International, Save the Children International, SOS Children’s Villages International, Terre des Hommes International Federation and World Vision International.

Physical, sexual violence

Children with disability and teenagers who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) are the most prone to physical and sexual violence and bullying, according to the report.

It also indicated that about 5,000 children aged 10-12 across 15 countries feel unsafe on the internet and social networks. They also express desire to play an active role in violence prevention.

In the Philippines, the report said nearly half of population of children aged 13-17 experienced cyber violence. Cases of online violence in the form of verbal abuse and sent sexual messages are higher among boys, at 45.3 percent, compared with girls, at 42.2 percent.

“Children often describe their fears of speaking up, and victims of violence often receive threats to keep silent, and lack knowledge about whom they can report to,” the report added.

Suicide rate among LGBTQI teenagers is three times higher than heterosexual children as they face violence such as being ostracized and bullied in schools, at home and in communities.

Climate change was also cited as  the single biggest threat to children. Over half a billion children live in areas with extremely high risk of flooding, 115 million are at high or extremely high risk from tropical cyclones and almost 160 million are exposed to high or extremely high drought severity.