In today's digital age, cyberbullying has become a major concern for children who find themselves navigating in an increasingly complex online world.
Global experts were concerned after knowing that the Philippines was identified by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Justice Mission (IJM) as the “center” for the production of child sex abuse materials.
Alarmingly, the consequences of this rapid evolution, made these children threatened to sexual exploitation, abuse, bullying, and child sex trafficking.
“Nearly half a million Filipino children were trafficked to produce new child sexual exploitation material in 2022,” the findings said.
It also found out that the majority of victims in 2023 were between the ages of 3 and 12 years old.
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Joining global experts and fellow members of the ChildFund Alliance's WEB Safe & Wise Children's Advisory Council on Tuesday, Feb. 6,—Azumi, one of the ChildFund awardees and passionate advocate from the Philippines, addressed this issue and urged children to speak up and report instances of cyberbullying.
"It is urgent that all young people be given a voice in the fight for a safer online world,” she said.
"Cyberbullying is devastating," she explained as she pointed out its potential to cause anxiety, depression, and even suicide in extreme cases.
As a member of the Child Advisory Council and active youth leader in her community, Azumi stressed the need for collaborative action.
“It's crucial to create a safe and responsive environment that promotes kindness, respect, and empathy to our children,” she said.
“It is also essential to understand the impact of cyberbullying and take necessary steps to prevent this kind of activity,” she added.
She shared that she participated in creating a local ordinance together with student leaders addressing online sexual exploitation and cyberbullying—where this ensures that "cyberbullying prevention will be taught in every school," encouraging children to report incidents to trusted adults and authorities.
“Our aim is to educate children to speak for themselves and to enlighten, to prevent and to help them avoid becoming a victim of cyberbullying,” she said.
Azumi highlighted that online sexual exploitation and cyberbullying does not only violate human rights and children's rights but also a blatant disrespect for the values and principles that every child holds.
And by encouraging children to report cyberbullying, she hoped to create a safer online environment for all. “Where will cyberbullying prevention be taught in every school in my city, where children will be encouraged to report cyberbullying to their parents, teachers, school authorities, and even us.”
Call for help
The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has extended the reach of its "Mahalin at Kalingain ang ating mga Bata" (MAKABATA) helpline 1383 to the Visayas and Mindanao regions this year in order to help more people, particularly children who are in distress.
The helpline was first launched in November 2023 and was created by the CWC to give children a means to report any form of violence, abuse, or exploitation.
In addition, the public can also reach out for help by calling Smart number 09193541383 or Globe number 0915-802-2375. Alternatively, they can send an email to [email protected] to report incidents of child abuse.