The Norton Online Family Report 2011, which surveyed children, parents and teachers from 24 countries including Singapore, has identified a new phenomenon of “cyberbaiting”. This form of online bullying has students annoying their teachers, capturing their reactions via mobile phones and uploading the video on the Internet with the aim of embarrassing the teacher and the school.
According to the report, three in 10 teachers in Singapore have personally experienced or know of a colleague who has experienced cyberbaiting. Although 60% of the 100 teachers in Singapore surveyed acknowledged that being friends with their students on social networks exposes them to risks, 75% continue to do so as it is a way to reach out to their students. 68% also said that their schools have a code of conduct for online interactions with students.
The study also suggested that children are being exposed to dangers such as cyber-bullying and *****ually explicit images. 16% of the 200 children in Singapore, between the ages of eight and 17-years, who took part in the survey, reported negative experiences such as receiving taunting text messages or nude pictures. This is above the global average of 13%, and experts attribute this to the fact that the Republic has one of the world's highest rates of mobile phone use.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee has launched a third call for organisations to submit proposals that encourage the positive use of the Internet and mobile technologies among youths. Interested organisations can visit the MOE website or the MICA website for more details.
'16% of S'pore kids encounter cyber threats on cellphones'
By Irene Tham, The Straits Times, 18 Nov 2011
CHILDREN are being exposed to dangers such as cyber-bullying and sexually explicit images due to the growing popularity of mobile phones, a study suggests.
Sixteen per cent of eight- to 17-year-olds polled in Singapore reported negative experiences such as receiving taunting text messages or nude pictures.
This is above the global average of 13 per cent, and experts point to the fact that the Republic has one of the world's highest rates of mobile phone use.
The findings were released yesterday as part of the Norton Online Family Report 2011. Internet security firm Symantec polled 200 children and 500 parents in Singapore, one of 24 countries surveyed.
'More than six in 10 children in Singapore own a mobile phone,' said Mr Effendy Ibrahim, the firm's Internet safety advocate and director for Asia. 'Cyber criminals will continue to capitalise on the rising adoption of these mobile platforms, and it is important to have adequate safety measures.'
This was the first time mobile phones were included in the annual study, which involved more than 4,500 children and 12,700 parents from around the world.
It also asked respondents about negative experiences on the Net, including on computers. Seven in 10 youngsters in Singapore had encountered this problem. The most common issue was strangers trying to befriend them on social networking sites.
Another complaint was the number of violent images found online. The study found the combined impact of these negative experiences left children feeling angry, fearful and upset. Nevertheless, a third of youngsters said they would not tell their mother and father in case their parents overreacted.
Psychologist Sheena Jebal of NuLife Care and Counselling Services said: 'Parents should always have two-way conversations with their children instead of interrogating them or engaging in a monologue,' At the same time, they should set clear rules and limits.
Only 58 per cent of parents talk to their children about online safety, said the study. It also found that a child who follows rules set by parents is less likely to come to harm online.
Psychologist Carol Balhetchet of the Singapore Children's Society said the best way to keep youngsters safe is to avoid being too protective. She added: 'Information is power if you know how to use it.'
Meanwhile, the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee yesterday launched a third call for organisations to submit proposals on how to help youngsters use the Internet and mobile technology in a positive way.
The committee, formed in 2009 to coordinate the Government's cyber wellness efforts by working with the private sector, is looking for ideas that could include campaigns promoting Internet etiquette and new methods of handling harmful material such as pornography or racial hatred websites. Successful proposals will receive seed funding.
Cyber-baiting happens to 3 in 10 teachers here
by Sumita Sreedharan, TODAY, 18 Nov 2011
Taunt, capture, post. Cyber-baiting, the latest trend in online bullying, has students targeting their teachers. And three in 10 teachers in Singapore have personally experienced cyber-baiting or know a colleague who has, according to the latest Norton Online Family Report.
Cyber-baiting works like this: A student will irritate his teacher until the latter loses his temper. The student will film the incident on his mobile phone and then upload the video onto the Internet, with the aim of embarrassing the teacher and the school.
This new phenomenon is not peculiar to Singapore. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, one in five teachers was also reported to have experienced or have known a colleague who had experienced cyber-baiting.
The Norton report also found that 75 per cent of teachers here are friends with their students on social networking sites, even though 60 per cent of them acknowledge that it would expose them to risks.
Teachers recognise that social networks are a way to reach out to their students.
One teacher told Today that she has two separate accounts and uses one of them solely for sending encouraging messages to her students.
She acknowledged that there are risks, such as being cyber-stalked by students or having them checking on her private life. She tries to minimse such risks by posting only school-related photos and messages, thus keeping everything on a professional level.
Another teacher, who was told of her school's Internet policy when she first started teaching, said she was advised to maintain a professional distance when dealing with students in online situations.
Of the 100 teachers in Singapore who took part in the Norton survey, 68 per cent said their schools have a code of conduct in place for interacting with students via social networks.
And out of the 501 parents here who took part in the survey, 91 per cent said they know what their children are doing online.
On the other hand, only 68 per cent of the 200 children in Singapore who responded said their parents know what they are doing online. The figure is lower than the global tally, where 83 per cent of children believe that their parents know what they are doing online.
The Norton Online Family Report is based on almost 20,000 online surveys conducted in 24 countries, including Singapore, between February and March. Respondents included about 4,500 children aged between 8 and 17.
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