Jakarta, IO – The internet has now become a primary need for citizens of all ages, including children. The Indonesian Internet Survey Report compiled by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) reported that as of 2021-2022 (Q1), the internet penetration rate for children aged 5-12 years has reached 62.43 percent, 99.16 percent for children aged 13-18, with 90.61 percent of them accessing the internet through their mobile gadgets.
The internet offers various benefits, from free, instant communication to getting relevant information. The internet has been a highly supportive media for children’s learning activities during the pandemic. However, there is also a hidden threat for school-age children logging onto the internet: the increasing phenomenon of cyber-bullying.
According to research conducted on 3077 junior high and high school students aged 13-18 from 34 provinces in Indonesia by the Center For Digital Society (CfDS) in August 2021, “Teenager-Related Cyber-bullying Case In Indonesia”, reported a result that 1,895 students (45.35 percent) claimed to have been victims of cyber-bullying, while 1,182 students (38.41 percent) were the bullies themselves. Respondents admitted the platforms that are often used as media for cyber-bullying are WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Children and teenagers are often cyber-bullied by being harassed, defamed and excluded from their circles.
According to UNICEF, cyber-bullying affects three dimensions: mental, emotional and physical. Children and teenagers experiencing cyber-bullying will be mentally annoyed, embarrassed, feel stupid and angry. Victims of cyber-bullying will emotionally lose interest in the things they like. Most cyberbullying victims will physically be impacted. They would feel fatigued from the lack of sleep, stomach pain and headaches. In extreme cases, cyber-bullying can even trigger a person to feel depressed and commit suicide.
Being aware and concerned that cyber-bullying has become a potential ticking time bomb, a teacher community, KGSB (Komunitas Guru Satkaara Berbagi), held a Webinar on Preventing Cyber-bullying in Students on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Attended by from KGSB member-educators, KGSB and RGBK collaborated with the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) and the Indonesian Jentera School of Law (STH) to explore the cyber-bullying issue from a different perspective.