PNP ramps up campaign vs cyberbullying

MANILA, Philippines — Now that children are much inclined to stay online amid the pandemic, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has decided to ramp-up its campaign against cyberbullying among youth in social media.

The decision came on the heels of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG)’s announcement that it had investigated only 19 cyberbullying cases from January 2019 to June 30 this year. Some groups believe that the low number is due to the underreporting of cases because of fear and inaction.

The latest report from the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children showed that about 43.8 percent of Filipino children aged 13 to 17 have experienced cyber violence.

The report also said that at least one-third or 33 percent of these was in the form of verbal abuse made over social media platforms using smartphones or desktops, while one-fourth was in the form of sexual messages.

The PNP-ACG, however, expressed a rosy outlook on reporting cases as they expect cyberbullying complaints to increase as “victims become aware of how to report it by means of a new reporting system through social media, phone numbers, and emails.”

“With the surge of technological advancements, cybercrimes became one of the most prevalent modus nowadays. Oftentimes, cyberbullying is used by unscrupulous individuals to prey on the youth,” PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said in a statement over the weekend.

Under the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, elementary and high schools are required to implement policies that address bullying in schools. The measure also defines cyberbullying as done through the use of technology or any electronic means.

Gamboa said the ACG and all police anti-cybercrime units nationwide have Facebook pages that cater to complaints and reports about cyberbullying, proliferation of false information, online scams, online voyeurism and more.

The PNP chief also asked parents to report incidents of cyberbullying.

“We urge our parents to monitor if there are changes in their child’s behavior. Should they confirm that their child has been victimized by a cyberbully or an online scammer, I encourage them to immediately identify the perpetrator and report it to the authorities,” he added.