Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Ramadan 8, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Onus on parents, teachers to fight cyber bullying, protect children

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By Lakshmi Kothaneth — MUSCAT: Feb 7 - Parents and educators must join hands to tackle cyber bullying, a leading cyber security expert has said.


Speaking to the Observer on the occasion of Oman marking ‘Safer Internet Day’, Haitham Hilal al Hajri, Cyber Security, Oman CERT, said the “source of cyber bullying is the school campus” many times.


“Cyber bullying can be tricky if parents are not aware of online applications or do not have a presence in the social media.”


“Educators must ensure parents are aware of the dangers on social media. These days, online applications are available for parental monitoring. Parents can limit children’s activities, the time spent on devices and the people they interact with,” said Al Hajri.


“Both parents and educators can play a key role in such cases. It is easy to go back to the source by checking who first posted a negative comment,” he said.


In the West, there are volunteers and websites that help remove such posts quickly.


In Oman, a victim can go to the Public Prosecution or report through Oman CERT website (www.cert.gov.om) on cyber threats. Such incidents can also be reported on the website for child online protection (www.cop.gov.om). There’s also a hotline for reporting naming and shaming.





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