Shania Shayal Prasad 
The escalating issue of cyberbullying in primary and secondary schools is raising alarm.
A staggering 256 cases of cyberbullying was reported to the Substance Abuse and Advisory Council in the past two years.
Head of Substance Abuse and Advisory Council Josua Naisele says the Ministry follows their standard operating procedure in addressing these concerns.
He adds while the statistics are concerning, the Ministry reassures that prompt and decisive action will be taken whenever such incidents are identified.
“If a child commits any crime in school, the parents are normally called in, and then we normally engage social welfare and the relevant police department; if it is cybercrime or cyberbullying, then a cybercrime unit will be called and an online safety commission.”
Acting Commissioner of the Online Safety Commission, Tajeshwari Devi, points out that the occurrence of image-based abuse is increasing. What’s particularly concerning is that, in most cases, children themselves are found to be the perpetrators.
“We have seen that a lot of children are facing online abuse in schools and outside schools as well. Maybe a focus can be set in the future. It is sad, but definitely we’ve heard a lot of issues around image-based abuse.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Children, Lynda Tabuya, emphasizes their collaborative efforts with relevant stakeholders to implement effective responses.
She underscores the vital role that the new department for children will play in addressing the issue of cyberbullying.
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