UNICEF on Tuesday called for concerted action to tackle and prevent violence against children and young people online as 32 per cent of children (aged 10 to 17) were found vulnerable to digital harassment in Bangladesh.
Warning of the dangers posed by online violence and cyber bullying, a recent study titled 'Online Safety of Children in Bangladesh' conducted by UNICEF Bangladesh, surveyed 1281 children (aged 10 to 17) from school, college and Madrasah in Bangladesh who use internet.
The study findings said about 25 per cent of the children, below the age of 11 have access to the digital world. Besides, a large majority (63 per cent) of them use their own room as the primary internet usage point. This indicates the prevalence of "bedroom culture" which allows less supervised internet use.
In Bangladesh, boys (63 per cent) are ahead of girls (48 per cent) in terms of high frequency online access and use. Chatting online and watching video are the two most frequent internet activities with 33 per cent chatting online and 30 per cent watching video daily.
In the study, it surfaced that a staggering 70 per cent of the boys and 44 per cent girls admitted to befriending unknown people online, while a section of the respondents even admitted to meeting the unknown online 'friends' in person risking their safety.
"We've heard from children and young people from Bangladesh and around the world and what they are saying is clear: The Internet has become a kindness desert," said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative.
"That's why this Safer Internet Day, UNICEF is following young people's lead and inviting everyone to be kind online, and calling for greater action to make the Internet a safer place for everyone, especially children," he said.
Mr. Edouard Beigbeder said thirty years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the creation of the Worldwide Web, it is time for governments, families, academia and, critically, the private sector to put children and young people at the centre of digital policies.
"By protecting them from the worst the Internet has to offer and expand access to its best, we can each help tip the balance for good," he added.
With the sky-rocketing growth of internet population in Bangladesh, which witnessed 800 times growth since the year 2000, the online population here is getting younger with children as young as 11 accessing and using the internet daily.
While older children may be more exposed to cyber bullying than younger ones, children are not immune from harmful content, sexual exploitation and abuse, and cyber bullying, according to the study.
Cyber bullying can cause profound harm as it can quickly reach a wide audience, and can remain accessible online indefinitely, virtually 'following' its victims online for life, it said.
Victims of cyber bullying are more likely to use alcohol and drugs and skip school than other students.
They also are more likely to receive poor grades and experience low self-esteem and health problems. In extreme situations, cyber bullying has even led to suicide, according to the study.
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