Written by Chatchai Nokdee, Content Team www.thaihealth.or.th

Interviewed by Dr. Theerarat Pantavee Wongthanane, President of the Association of Radio and Media for Children and Youth (ARMCY) and Dr. Phairoj Saonuam, Acting Director of the Bureau of Media Development and Intellectual Health, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth).

Information sourced from the guideline manual for protecting children from online threats by the Internet Foundation for Development in Thailand.

Images by Natthaporn Chumleu, Content Team www.thaihealth.or.th and archive images.

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

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When was the last time you logged into social media? Have you ever left negative comments about someone on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media?

Did you know that bullying is one of the causes of depression and can lead to suicidal thoughts for those who are bullied?

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

“Dr. Theerarat Pantavee Wongthanane,” President of the Association of Radio and Media for Children and Youth (ARMCY) provided insights from qualitative research on online bullying during a seminar titled “Navigating Online... Thai Children and Nearby Threats” organized by ARMCY in collaboration with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), the Internet Foundation for Development in Thailand, and partner networks.

The qualitative research on online bullying involved focus group discussions with 50 junior high school students from schools in Bangkok and surrounding areas conducted in August 2019. The findings revealed that:

There are 7 forms of online bullying:

1. Harassment and threats

2. Defamation and teasing

3. Sharing secrets

4. Exclusion from groups

5. Impersonation and creating fake accounts

6. Identity theft

7. Luring

“The most common form of bullying is harassment and threats, accounting for 50%.”

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

When asked about coping strategies for online bullying, victims reported using various communication methods to handle the situation.

Coping strategies include:

1. Ignoring and not responding

2. Cutting off relationships, blocking, or disappearing

3. Seeking advice from parents, guardians, or teachers

4. Collecting evidence to report the incident

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

This aligns with the views of “Dr. Phairoj Saonuam,” Acting Director of the Bureau of Media Development and Intellectual Health, ThaiHealth, who stated that children today face various forms of online bullying, which can lead to self-harm and harm to others, both physically and mentally. It is crucial for all sectors to promote digital literacy among children and youth to keep pace with online bullying processes.

Therefore, before becoming a victim of social media bullying, let’s understand what Cyberbullying is.

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

“Cyberbullying” refers to all forms of bullying that occur online, such as posting, commenting, and sharing on various social media platforms to exert pressure, which can have psychological effects on the victims, potentially leading to severe physical consequences.

Consequences include:

Anger, stress, anxiety, sadness, embarrassment, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts.

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

How to cope with Cyberbullying?

> STOP Do not retaliate in the same manner; stop responding to prevent further escalation of the situation.

> BLOCK Block the harasser to prevent them from contacting, posting, or harassing you again.

> TELL Inform parents, teachers, or trusted individuals for help. If it involves illegal actions or threats, gather evidence of the perpetrator and report it to authorities.

> REMOVE Immediately delete any harassing images or messages, and contact the administrator if it’s on a public online platform.

> BE STRONG Stay strong, be resilient, and don’t give value to those who hurt you. Use it as motivation to improve and overcome challenges.

Cyberbullying!! No One Wants to Be a Victim thaihealth

Be aware: Did you know that Cyberbullying is illegal?

According to the Computer Crime Act, Section 14, posting distorted or false information, whether in whole or in part, that others can view and which causes harm to others, including obscene content, can result in imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.

Online bullying can harm someone's mental health without them realizing it, leading to depression and even suicide.

ThaiHealth advocates raising awareness about the dangers of social media and encourages the constructive use of online platforms.

Thank you for the information from www.thaihealth.or.th