UNDP launches 'MyResponse' campaign against cyberbullying

UNB

Published at 08:58 pm June 18th, 2021

UNB

Joining the initiative, several noted personalities of Bangladesh urged everyone to put an end to cyber harassment

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has teamed up with Punchforon, winner of the UNDP’s Digital Khichuri Challenge 2020, to launch the “#MyResponse” campaign to raise awareness against online harassment on Stop Cyberbullying Day.

The UNDP, under its Partnerships for a Tolerant and Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB) project, has been working with the government and other partners to improve the digital literacy of youths and prevent violent extremism.

MyResponse campaign is an initiative of the UNDP and Punchforon that aims to contain the rising trend of cyber harassment, said the UNDP Friday.

Under the campaign, noted personalities urged everyone to end cyberbullying in Bangladesh.

"We have to break the silence because cyber offenders get away with their crime when there is no protest. It is time to act together against all forms of cyberbullying," said actor Chanchal Chowdhury.

Singer Partha Barua, actor Rafiath Rashid Mithila and Bangladesh's first transgender news presenter Tashnuva Anan Shishir also joined the campaign with the hashtag #MyResponse to protest cyberbullying.

Also Read - Stop Cyberbullying Day on Friday

Meanwhile, the UNDP encouraged online communities to speak up against cyberbullying with the hashtag #MyResponse.

Social network platforms have become a major space for cyberbullying and online harassment, especially against women, girls and minorities, said the UNDP.

Bangladeshi children between the ages of 10 and 17 are increasingly becoming more vulnerable to online violence, cyberbullying and digital harassment.

The country has a high rate of cyberbullying and 80% of the victims are girls and women aged 14-22. A significant majority of cybercriminals and hackers fall between the age of 16 and 17, according to the Cyber Crime Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The risk can be reduced if internet users can be made more informed. Particularly, children and adolescents should be sensitized on the dos and don'ts of the internet, experts say.