Grameenphone pledges to educate about online bullying

DHAKA, June 22 (NsNewsWire) —  With an estimated half billion youth in Telenor Asia’s markets of Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Thailand accessing the internet for the first time in the next five years, Grameenphone and its parent company, Telenor Group, hope to educate young users on the benefits of connectivity, as well as how to navigate online threats.

• Cyberbullying refers to electronic communication used for the purpose of bullying.

  With 49% of school students in Bangladesh encountering or previously involved

  with cyberbullying, education is becoming increasingly key to mitigate growing

  online abuses rates.

  “Grameenphone and Telenor are dedicated to increasing internet safety for all, with

  an emphasis on youth,” said Nehal Ahmed, Head of Communications,

  Grameenphone Ltd. “With an estimated 100 million young people to come online in

  Telenor’s Asia markets by 2017, creating awareness around this topic is an

  important part of our efforts to actively reduce cyberbullying levels.”

  Cyberbullying Statistics by Country

  Bangladesh

  A sizeable 49% of school students in Bangladesh have experienced either ‘being

  bullied or disturbed online,’ ‘being bullied by the same person both online and

  offline’ or have actually engaged in bullying others online. The same percentage

  said they submitted to at least one form of peer pressure.

  While less than half of Bangladeshi school students choose to confide in parents and

  teachers when faced with online bullying, the country sees a lower than average

  rate of consultation with adults compared to other markets in Asia.

  India

  By 2017, 134 million children in India will be online, giving them access to a well of

  information and knowledge. Yet, more than half of the children between the ages of

  8 to 17 years (53%) who are currently utilizing the net, have faced some form of

  cyberbullying at least once. As a result, parents in India fear online bullying more

  than physical bullying when it comes to their children. Compared to the global

  average, Indian parents are 20% more likely to limit their child’s online activities.

  1

  https://www.telenor.com/media/press-releases/2016/safe-internet-research-spotlights-student-experiences-with-

  cyberbullying-and-online-peer-pressure/
• Malaysia

  Internet usage by schoolchildren in all states in Malaysia is more than 90% on

  average. One in four report having exprienced cyberbullying, however a 2015 study

  revealed that the majority of Malaysian schoolchildren are aware that such

  behaviours can be identified and reported. In the face of online threats by peers,

  most Malaysian children are likely to adopt a privacy setting or blocking strategies,

  and are aware of the channels to report to teachers or relevant authorities.

  Nonetheless, there is a high likelihood that many youngsters will keep quiet and

  hope the cyberbullying will stop, rather than consult a trusted adult.

  Malaysian students also ranked highly in terms of being aware of what constitutes

  socially acceptable behaviors on the internet and are open to following online rules

  set by parents. Overall, 67% said they felt able to improve or solve any

  cyberbullying problems themselves or with adult help. This higher percentage could

  be attributed to consistent efforts to increase internet safety awareness among

  Malaysian school students, including DiGi’s CyberSAFE programme.

  Thailand

  Overall, 33% of Thai school students have experienced either ‘being bullied or

  disturbed online,’ ‘being bullied by the same person both online and offline’ or they

  have actually engaged in the act of bullying others online. Additionally, 35% of Thai

  students have said they succumbed to at least one form of peer pressure such as

  being encouraged to visit unsuitable websites or use bad language online.

  Of the Thai students encountering cyberbullying and online peer pressure, 59%

  responded that they felt capable of resolving such issues by themselves or with

  adult guidance. Notable was the level of students in Thailand who said when faced

  with online issues that they do not know how to solve alone: 55% said they were

  likely to approach their parents, far higher than Bangladesh at 38% saying they

  would consult their guardians. By frequently consulting with parents, children can

  better navigate the challenges of interactions online.

  The Online World is Still Real

  Be Smart Use Heart is Telenor’s symbol for initiatives across its global markets

  directed towards school-age children and their parents addressing cyberbullying.

  The programs provide information and tools to help children and parents cope with

  bullying online and address linked issues such as how to stay safe online and how

  to keep a mobile device secure.

  For more information on how to make the internet a safer environment for youth,

  Telenor Group provides a Parent Guide: How to talk to your children about the

  internet.
• Malaysia

  Internet usage by schoolchildren in all states in Malaysia is more than 90% on

  average. One in four report having exprienced cyberbullying, however a 2015 study

  revealed that the majority of Malaysian schoolchildren are aware that such

  behaviours can be identified and reported. In the face of online threats by peers,

  most Malaysian children are likely to adopt a privacy setting or blocking strategies,

  and are aware of the channels to report to teachers or relevant authorities.

  Nonetheless, there is a high likelihood that many youngsters will keep quiet and

  hope the cyberbullying will stop, rather than consult a trusted adult.

  Malaysian students also ranked highly in terms of being aware of what constitutes

  socially acceptable behaviors on the internet and are open to following online rules

  set by parents. Overall, 67% said they felt able to improve or solve any

  cyberbullying problems themselves or with adult help. This higher percentage could

  be attributed to consistent efforts to increase internet safety awareness among

  Malaysian school students, including DiGi’s CyberSAFE programme.

  Thailand

  Overall, 33% of Thai school students have experienced either ‘being bullied or

  disturbed online,’ ‘being bullied by the same person both online and offline’ or they

  have actually engaged in the act of bullying others online. Additionally, 35% of Thai

  students have said they succumbed to at least one form of peer pressure such as

  being encouraged to visit unsuitable websites or use bad language online.

  Of the Thai students encountering cyberbullying and online peer pressure, 59%

  responded that they felt capable of resolving such issues by themselves or with

  adult guidance. Notable was the level of students in Thailand who said when faced

  with online issues that they do not know how to solve alone: 55% said they were

  likely to approach their parents, far higher than Bangladesh at 38% saying they

  would consult their guardians. By frequently consulting with parents, children can

  better navigate the challenges of interactions online.

  The Online World is Still Real

  Be Smart Use Heart is Telenor’s symbol for initiatives across its global markets

  directed towards school-age children and their parents addressing cyberbullying.

  The programs provide information and tools to help children and parents cope with

  bullying online and address linked issues such as how to stay safe online and how

  to keep a mobile device secure.

  For more information on how to make the internet a safer environment for youth,

  Telenor Group provides a Parent Guide: How to talk to your children about the

  internet.
• To read about Stop Cyberbullying Day please visit:

  https://www.cybersmile.org/stop-cyberbullying-day.

  ###

  Media Contacts

  For further information, please contact: Md. Hasan, Deputy General Manager of PR: 01711-

  082469

  About Grameenphone Ltd.

  Grameenphone, part of the Telenor Group, is a leading telecommunications service provider in

  Bangladesh with more than 56 million subscribers. Since its inception in 1997, Grameenphone has

  built the largest cellular network in the country, covering nearly 99 percent of the country’s

  population. With its brand promise to enable customers to “Go beyond”, Grameenphone seeks to help

  customers get the full benefit of mobile data and voice services and provide Internet For All.

  Grameenphone is listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange. www.grameenphone.com:

  www.facebook.com/grameenphone.

  About Telenor Group

  Telenor Group is one of the world’s major mobile operators with close to 200 million

  subscribers. Our #MoreThan 33,000 employees across 13 countries in Europe and Asia work

  each day to provide connectivity and to make a real difference for people, business and

  society.

  For more information about Telenor Group, please visit www.telenor.com

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