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CYBER - BULLYING, A THREAT TO ONLINE SAFETY.

Cyber bullying or cyber harassment is the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. It is also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital sphere has expanded and technology has advanced. Cyber bullying or cyber harassment takes various forms ranging from sending mean text to someone, pranking someone's cell phone, hacking into someone's gaming or social networking profile, being rude or mean to someone in an online game and online space, spreading secrets or rumours about people online and pretending to be someone else to spread hurtful messages online.


Cyber bullying is a person who uses social network sites, text messages, chats and websites to harm others. It is a form of bullying that happens through mobile phones, computers or other electronic devices. Cyber bullying is a very dangerous act and a crime against humanity by individuals with the intentions to hurts people and bring them harm. Cyber bullying does a lot of dangerous effects on the victim most especially on their psychological and mental health. These acts disturbs the peace of mind of a person (victims) and many people are known to experience depression and some go as far to an extent of committing suicide after they are cyberbullied.


OCTOBER - NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH.

The month of October is observed as the national bullying prevention month. This calls for serious online and offline public education, advocacy and sensitization awareness campaigns to educate, inform and enlighten the youths, mostly teenagers and adults as well on the dangers and the harmful effects of cyber bullying on the mental health of the victims. We should also use this month's celebration to join all well meaning online users, digital rights activist and mental health practitioners and advocate all over the world to mark the world mental health day which holds on the 10th of October every year. This is a very laudable avenue to bring to the fore the negative issues of cyber bullying in relation to mental health.



 Cyber bullying can lead to someone involving themselves in taking the wrong steps. It hampers one's mental well being and hence can affect their physical health. Research indicates that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection,exclusion and despair, as well as depression and anxiety which can contribute to suicidal behaviour.



           PUBLIC EDUCATION IS KEY.

The public education exercise on this topical issue should be intensified by all and sundry both online and offline to admonish defaulters (cyber bullying) to refrain from their harmful acts and stop being mean on the screen because they don't know how many lives they have ruin in just one click, and how many people they have thrown into depression, anxiety, despair and even suicidal behaviour and attempts. Relevant agencies and stakeholders in the digital space has a duty to play to curtail the spread of cyber bullying. Awareness and public education are the key words here, and everyone must engage in responsible internet surfing by posting contents, pictures, audios, videos and comments that are not harmful to other people's emotions, psychology, their mental state and wellbeing.


THE ROLE OF RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS.

Relevant stakeholders working in the digital technologies space all have a great duty and responsibility to play to counter cyber bullying. Social influencers, bloggers, vloggers, digital rights activist, digital advocates, digital enthusiasts and digital technology organizations all serves as the gatekeepers in the online space. They all should use their platforms, skills, knowledge, expertise to educate, inform, sensitize the online users on the negative side and the harmful effects of cyber bullying to other online audience by creating educative and informative contents, posts, videos, audios, audio -visuals, short documentaries on cyber bullying, use their networks to scale up advocacy on cyber bullying to stem the tide and nip the issue in the bud.


Online users should always think about what they post on the internet. Words scares, rumours destroys and bullies kills. Dont share anything that could hurt or embarrass anyone. You never know to whom your post, messages, emails, and videos will get forward to. Being kind to others online will help keep you and others safe and reduce cyber bullying drastically from the online space.



LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS AND LEGAL PENALTIES ON CYBER BULLYING.

The harmful effects of cyber bullying on the state of mind and mental health of victims needs to be taken seriously by the political leaders in all countries of the world. Governments at all levels of governance should promulgate policies and enact legislative laws and legal penalties on cyber bullying to stem the tide of the situation. This offense has been treated with kid gloves for too long without minding the harm it causes to the state of mind, the mental health and well being of their victims.



        A YOUNG GIRL CYBER BULLIED.

      



CYBER BULLYING CAN LEAD TO DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE ATTEMPT.

Cyber bullying can lead to so many harmful effects on the lives of the victims. Some of the effects of cyber bullying can manifests in victims in various ways such as;

- Lower school attendance and performance.

- lncrease stress and anxiety.

- Feeelings of isolation and fear.

- lt causes embarrassment and shame.

- Poor concentration.

- Decreased self esteem and confidence.

- Depression.

- Suicide.



THE WAY OUT TO PREVENT CYBER BULLYING.

Victims of cyber bullying and harassment can prevent these harms by doing the following to prevent such occurrences in the online space. The following measures should be adopted and put in place;

-  Keep your password safe always or change password often.

- Set your profile to private.

- Privacy settings let you control the posts you do online.

- Set up your profile account with two step verification authentication to protect you from "identity theft". It protects your login credentials from being hacked.

- Never reveal your personal information to strangers on the internet space.

- Never share your password. Even your friends may misuse your password.

- Never open messages from unknown people and links.

- Don't respond. Block the emails, messages.

- Save the chat, messages, email and inform your parents and teachers.

- lf nothing else works, block the sender and save the links and messages for evidence.

- When bullied, log off the site.

- Telling someone can help you feel less alone. They can help you make a plan to stop bullying.

- Talk to an adult you trust about any messages, posts you get online.




#saynotocyberbullying #saynotocyberharassment #cyberbullying #cyberharassment #makeinternetsafe #safeinternet #internetsafety #CIPESA #DRIF #IGF #NIGF #FIFAfrica #AllianceForAffordableIntetnet #A4AI #openinernetglobal #opennet #D4DHUB #D4DBlogging #lnternetFreedomForum #IFF #FreedomHouse #opennet #DigitalForDevelopmentHub #Digital4DevelopmentHub #openinternet #ECOWAS #AU #EU #UN #unitednations.




BRIEF PERSONAL BACKGROUND OF MR. ENOBONG EKWERE (DIGITAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST) IN NIGERIA.

Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, vlogger, digital rights activist, SDGs advocate and a global citizen. He is the program manager of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP) an organic, volunteer of experts, youth focused and a think- tank non governmental organization based in Kaduna, Nigeria. A Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate of Public Administration (Upper Credit) level from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. Enobong Ekwere holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). He works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and advocating for digital rights and open internet in Nigeria, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policy makers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of good governance and democracy, digital rights and open internet, accountability in government, freedom of information, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs, digital rights and open internet in particular so that no community and youth would be left behind. CYPLP as an organization works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth, elderly persons, persons living with disabilities (PLWD's) and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented and marginalized local communities in Nigeria.

He can be reached via: 

Tel:+2347082558952 

Email: julyenobong2020@gmail.com

            : enobongekwere825@gmail.com


MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/enobong.ekwere.372

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/Enobongekwere2

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/enobongekwere825

LINKEDIN: 

https://www.linkedIn.com/in/enobong-ekwere-3271b116b


MY ORGANIZATIONA'S SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/cyplp.net.ng/

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/youngpeoplefor/

INSTAGRAM

http://www.instagram.com/cyplp/

WEBSITE:

www.cyplp.net.ng



VOLUNTEER - INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (IHRC) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.
















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