According to the ‘U-Report poll’ conducted by UNICEF in Assam, Facebook is the most popular platform for cyberbullying, followed by Instagram and WhatsApp.
Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi launched the U-Report poll on July 18 to support the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ (ASCPCR) Suraksha campaign, which aims to raise public awareness about various forms of violence against children and redressal mechanisms.
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The majority of National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers who took part in a U-Report poll on cyberbullying and corporal punishment were aware of the issues. Close to 9,500 volunteers from Assam’s 24 universities and educational institutions participated in the poll.
I am happy to have launched the U-Report- a free tool for community participation, for Suraksha Campaign organised by @UNICEF in collaboration with the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. pic.twitter.com/9Fh99AyHvu
— Prof. Jagdish Mukhi (@jagdishmukhi) July 18, 2022
In the poll, 35% reported having corporal punishment at home, 25% at school, and 14% in other settings such as private tuition and sports fields.
While 26% were affected in all three settings. The most common form of punishment was being hit or slapped on the hand, arm, or leg (67%), followed by being shouted, screamed, or yelled at (16%). Nearly 60% of these young people reported that it had an impact on their social relationships, 24% reported stress, anxiety, and fear, and 17% reported physical injury.
“Given the Assam government’s emphasis on creating a conducive environment for young people to grow and thrive, UNICEF Assam has been working with Assamese youth, particularly those from the most vulnerable communities.” “Our focus was to understand how COVID-19 had impacted their lives between 2020 and 21,” said Dr Madhulika Jonathan, Chief of UNICEF Assam.
Majority of the young people experienced bullying online by an unknown person, 12% by a classmate, and 14% by a friend. Facebook was identified as the most common platform for bullying by 36% of respondents, followed by Instagram by 25%. Bullying was most commonly manifested through the dissemination of lies, embarrassing pictures or videos on social media (35 per cent). The most probable explanation for online bullying was physical appearance.
