At least 32% of children between the ages of 10 and 17 in Bangladesh, are vulnerable to online violence, cyberbullying, and digital harassment, said a latest study of United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef).
With older children being more exposed to cyberbullying than younger ones, children are not immune to harmful content, sexual exploitation, abuse, and cyberbullying, the study added.
Some 10% children are facing religious provocation in the form of a major cybercrime, it said, revealing that older children, mostly boys, ages 16 to 17, are exposed to such content more than any other group.
The UN body on children unveiled the findings marking Safer Internet Day at Software Technology Park in Karwan Bazar on Tuesday.
Unicef also called for a concerted effort to tackle and prevent violence against children and young people online.
For the study titled Online Safety of Children in Bangladesh, Unicef surveyed 1,281 children (ages 10 to 17) from schools, colleges, and madrasas in Bangladesh who use the internet.
According to the study, about 25% of the children (ages 10-17) started accessing the digital world before turning 11. What is even more alarming is that a large majority (63%) of them use their own room as the primary internet usage point, implying the prevalence of a “bedroom culture” which allows less supervised internet use.
Boys (63%) are ahead of girls (48%) in terms of high frequency online access and use. Chatting online and watching videos are the two most frequent internet activities, with 33 % of them chatting online and 30% watching videos daily.
Shockingly, 70% boys and 44% girls admitted to befriending unknown people online, with a section of them even meeting the “friends” in person, risking their safety, the report noted.
Stating that Bangladesh’s internet use saw a staggering 800-fold expansion since 2000, Unicef said the online population is getting younger, with children as young as 11 accessing and using the internet daily.
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, the report cautioned.
“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, experience low self-esteem, and develop health problems. In extreme situations, cyberbullying has even led to suicide,” it warned.
Addressing the report launching event as the chief guest, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said guardians, especially parents, need to be more aware to save their children from cybercrimes or stop them from committing online offences.
“However, the guardians are failing to do so properly,” he maintained.
A number of projects for content filtering are underway, with many of those in the final stage, he said.
“Once completed, the projects will help block dangerous websites, including pornography, by March,” Jabbar said, warning of dire consequences if children are not stopped from accessing adult sites.
He suggested constituting a separate cell at the cyber tribunal for children suspected of cybercrimes.
Since most objectionable content is generated and circulated from abroad, Bangladesh needs to be technically sound to fight that, he said.
On a separate note, he said the proposed rules of Digital Security Act, 2018, will have the provision of protecting personal and private data.
Calling for making the internet safer for everyone, especially children, Unicef Bangladesh Representative, Edouard Beigbeder, said: “It is time for governments, families, academia, and critically, the private sector, to put children and young people at the centre of digital policies.”
