Children’s lives are more and more taking place online, with children using the internet for their learning, socialising and entertainment. Typically, this happens without adult supervision. However, the digital world was not designed with child safety in mind. Children are being continuously targeted online both by their peers when it comes to cyberbullying or sexting and also by threats of online violence such as child sexual exploitation, abuse and grooming.  Furthermore new and potential risks seem always to be emerging.

This is one of the key reasons why the Maltese Safer Internet Centre, BeSmartOnline! along with other Safer Internet Centres around the world celebrates Safer Internet Day, on February 7, with the theme “Together for a Better Internet”. The central theme is to draw attention to the need for online safety and involve Government, civil society, educators and children from across the globe to celebrate this day and to share and own the responsibility in making the internet a better place for the younger generations. At BeSmartOnline! we believe all children, no matter who they are or where they live, have the right to enjoy a safe experience online.

2022 was a critical year for online safety as the European Commission brought forward the Better Internet for Kids plus (BIK) strategy. The European strategy for a better Internet for children provides a set of complementary measures, ranging from funding, coordination and self-regulation to help create a safer online environment.

Success story

Over the years, the BeSmartOnline! Helpline has served as a beacon of hope when it comes to safeguarding children’s safety online. The team had plenty of calls from parents, social workers, teachers and children alike, who reached out for help and the situation was improved with the helpline’s intervention.

There was one particular parent of a 12-year-old who called the helpline because their child was being bullied online. The bullies were using intimate details of the family’s heart-breaking situation and were instigating the child to self-harm and suicide. The helpline team took several steps and actions to intervene in this case. The parents were guided on what evidence they will need to hold onto should they choose to report to the police, as instigation to suicide is a criminal offence. A one-to-one support session was held with the child with the parent’s permission. The BeSmartOnline also offered the school support when confronting the bullies with what they had been doing and carried out a class intervention to raise awareness on online healthy and respectful relationships against cyberbullying.

This case turned out to be successful as the bullies stopped messaging the child with hurtful messages. The child found the support needed, and the class became more empowered to not be bystanders by standing up for one another against what is not right. The school also gained more confidence when navigating its own plan of action when such cases arise in the future. The parent was very satisfied with all the help and work that was carried out to help make their child’s environment online and at school safer.

Safer Internet Day Celebrations

For this year’s celebrations, the Maltese Safer Internet Centre will be holding an information day in Valletta on the 4th February where a stand with different activities will be set in order to invite the general public to visit and gather information on online safety by the awareness officers on site. Along with the different activities happening on the day, the Safer Internet Centre will be launching the Instant photo campaign in which young people will be invited to take a photo with our polaroid camera and a set of online safety tips will be attached as a sticker on the back of the photo. During this time it will give the members of the Safer Internet Centre the opportunity to start conversations on online safety with young people and the young people can keep the photo of themselves with the tips attached.

For the parents, a resource on pornography was developed in which parents are given tips on how to talk to their children about pornography and about intimate relationships.

Deborah Vassallo - Service Area Leader within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS).

If you are under the age of 18 going through a hard time online, reach out for help by calling 179. You do not need to suffer alone.

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