HANAN HARITE

Morocco - The “Reda's Smile” Association has launched a national awareness campaign in partnership with Instagram, called "Click and Protect", with the aim of confronting online bullying and harassment on social media platforms, and helping to protect users, especially young people, from the harm that this problem can cause.

Violence and harassment increase suicide rate

According to the survey conducted by the association, 62 percent of children and youth were subject to online bullying and harassment and 58 % of the interviewed youth witnessed some form of violence against other people and 47.7% of them committed one form of online violence. In the survey, the association states that online violence and harassment increase suicide rate in the country.

The aim is to reduce suicide rate

Another aim of the campaign is to reduce suicide rate among children and youth. The association has also formed a youth committee consisting of mostly women to raise awareness of parents in order to reduce suicide rate, particularly among children and youth.

“The campaign focuses on ways to protect children and youth against online violence”

Speaking to NuJINHA, Mona Shaidal, a member of the youth committee formed by the association, said that the association has launched the campaign to combat online bullying and harassment on social media platforms in partnership with Instagram. “As part of the campaign, we will share videos on social media platforms to raise awareness of the harmful impact of online bullying on social media users and highlight the tools that Instagram provides to the community to combat bullying. The campaign focuses on the ways to protect children and youth against online violence.”

“Online violence has a serious impact”

Malak Harmus, another member of the youth committee, told us that the aim of the campaign is to shed light on the phenomenon of cyber harassment in Morocco and its serious consequences, especially on young people. “Online violence and harassment have a serious impact on the lives of people, especially children and youth. The children and youth being subjected to online violence isolate them from the world and think of committing suicide.”

Speaking about the roles of parents in raising awareness against online violence and harassment, Manal Al-Doh, another member of the youth committee, said, “The parents can understand if their children think of suicide by observing their children’s behaviors. The parents should provide the necessary support to their children when they feel that their children are going to commit suicide. The parents should listen to their children and encourage them to speak out.”