Cyberbullying in Australia is on the rise.
Most recent quarter figures showed a 75 percent increase in online abuse complaints as compared to the figures in the same period of last year.
This year, 70 serious complaints on cyberbullying have been resolved, according to the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner.
The Office also has dealt with more than 3,000 complaints against abusive content online.
In a statement released, acting eSafety Commissioner Andree Wright said that removing content on the Internet is just one of the measures to help those young people who have been victims of serious cyberbullying.
“We take a holistic approach in dealing with cyberbullying to ensure no one slips through the cracks—while we do help get material removed when this is needed, we also provide information, advice and support to Australian families and schools affected by cyberbullying,” he said.
He emphasized that education is also a big part. “We provide quality resources that empower young people to take action when they see and experience cyberbullying along with practical steps to build their resilience to deal with its emotional effects.”
To resolve such cases, they work with social media partners as well as government and non-profit groups, which also include referring victims to Kids Helpline for the much-needed support.
“With millions of young Australians highly engaged on social media, we welcome the efforts of all our partners to help ensure positive experiences for their users” Wright said.
The Office has also boosted its cyber safety education efforts this quarter, arming more than 12,000 students, parents, teachers, and other members of the community with safety skills and knowledge when using the Internet.
It has likewise provided workshops to 600 frontline professionals within every territory and state in its goal to help women suffering from technology-facilitated abuse.
The Office’s complete figures on cyberbullying can be viewed on Vimeo.
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