Mickela: Protect youths from cyber-bullying

Speaking to reporters following a panel discussion on cyber-bullying at Naparima College, San Fernando yesterday, Panday noted that the Cyber Crime Bill, which had been allowed to lapse during the 2014/2015 parliamentary sitting, had now been placed before a Joint Select Committee.

“I have heard nothing of it since and I will be inquiring as what is happening because it is so important. Cyber- bullying has increased throughout Trinidad and Tobago,” Panday said, adding, “Clause 18 deals with cyber-bullying but nothing has happened or is happening with that clause.” Asked whether there was legislation to deal with instances of cyber- bullying, she said, “As it stands right now, no.” “The issue is with the advent of the computer, you have snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and there are different social platforms where kids can be bullied 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” she said.

“There is something called trolling that happens and there is no law right now to protect children or even adults from cyber- harassing and you see it a lot on Facebook with fake profiles and people saying some of the most atrocious and untrue things,” she said.

The dictionary.com defines trolling as posting “inflammatory or inappropriate messages or comments on (the Internet, especially a message board) for the purpose of upsetting other users and provoking a response.” Of this trend, Panday said, “It is one of the most serious problems that is happening in schools right now perhaps even more than physical bullying because it does not stop, it happens when you are at home, it happens when you wake up in the morning, it’s everywhere thanks to social media platforms.” Panday said government and opposition parliamentarians had “to get their act together” and deal with the problem saying “there is no excuse to say that they don’t know that this is happening.” “If they do not know that this is happening, there is a serious disconnect between the people in power, whether that be the government or the opposition and the people on the ground,” she said.

Panellist Kyle Boodoo said there were different types of cyber- bullying which included “flaming” the victim and on social media.

Flaming is similar to harassment but refers to an online fight exchanged via emails, instant messaging or chat rooms.

It is a type of public bullying that often directs harsh languages, or images to a specific person.