CANBERRA, Oct 03 (Agencies): One in five Australian children are victims of cyber bullying, the nation's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has revealed.
Inman Grant addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday, calling for cyber bullying to be addressed in the national school curriculum, saying that online safety had become "one of the primary parenting challenges of our time."
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner studied complaints of online abuse dating back to 2015, finding that one in four reports included "direct threats of violence or harm" targeted at a child.
"The average age of victims is 14; girls are bullied online more than boys; and almost all of the online abuse is peer to peer and has a nexus to social conflict within the school gates," Inman Grant told the press club.
"Our experience shows that complaints are becoming much more complex, urgent, and serious."
Cyber bullying was thrust into the national conscience earlier this year when 14-year-old girl Dolly Everett from the Northern Territory took her own life after being bullied online.
Inman Grant said there was "no quick fix" for the problem but schools had a key role to play.
"To help achieve this societal change, we need to reinforce key values with children in the home whilst integrating similar principles into the curriculum," she said.
"How can we really be preparing our children for the workforce of the future if we are not teaching them the skills and behaviours they will need to survive in this brave new online world?"
Meanwhile, Facebook on Tuesday stepped up ways to battle bullying and harassment at the leading social network.
The initiative calls for new tools and programs to help users control "unwanted, offensive or hurtful experiences on Facebook," global head of safety Antigone Davis said in a blog post.
"Everyone deserves to feel safe on Facebook," Davis said.
Facebook users will be able to hide or delete groups of comments, including responses, instead of having to remove them one at a time, according to Davis.
The feature was rolling out on desktop computers and Android-powered mobile devices, and promised to reach versions of the application on Apple gadgets in coming months.
Facebook also began letting people report bullying or harassment on behalf of friends reluctant to complain to the social network themselves.
"Being the target of unwanted attention can be stressful and some people may not feel comfortable reporting a bully or harasser," Davis said.
"If you see a friend or family member being bullied or harassed, now you can report someone on their behalf."
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