MoTC creating awareness on cyber bullying

DOHA: To make the digital world a safer space for people particularly kids, the Ministry of Transport and Communications  (MoTC) has launched an online awareness campaign on cyber bullying.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications through its social media platforms is educating people about the nature and ill effects of cyber bullying on children. Through a graphic image, social media users have been advised to keep an eye on children to save them from negative psychological effects of cyber bullying.

Apart from posts on cyber bullying, the Ministry is running a regular online awareness campaign on cyber security under hashtag #secure4safety for long. The Ministry through a dedicated website safespace.qa is also helping teachers and parents to keep children safe online.

The website provides valuable information to parents, educators, children and public on cyber safety with dozens of articles and videos.

An article on tips for educators to address the problem of cyber bullying advises teachers to talk with students about cyber bullying, both the impact and consequences and let them know that cyber bullying is a punishable offense.

Other tips include:  Learn and teach conflict resolution and anger management skills. Teach children to apply it to their practical life (both at school and home). Educate parents on cyber bullying, let them know what signs to look for and how to talk with their children about the issue.

Create a safe environment for students to voice their concerns and assure them that what is shared between them remains confidential. Stay informed and update yourself with the latest Internet and technology trends to handle any online risks.

Earlier while marking Safer Internet Day on February 5 this year, the Ministry of Transport and Communications had also signed an MoU with Vodafone as partner on cyber safety initiatives.

Vodafone has already delivered creative and engaging workshops in 10 schools covering almost 1000 students and will continue to collaborate with MOTC on a number of other cyber safety initiatives to ensure continuous and effective awareness and education reaching more and more people, the Ministry had said while announcing new partnership.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is also running a number of initiatives to ensure cyber safety like Ammen Taslem,  a cyber safety social media campaign started by the Ministry in 2016 with an objective of increasing the digital literacy of Qatari communities.

Separately, MOTC in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education also launched the ‘Digital Literacy Curriculum’ aimed at training master trainers in Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The program consists of 16 courses that deliver a series of lectures, workshops and quizzes using a web browser to be conveniently accessed via safespace.qa.

Like the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Interior too is actively playing its role to ensure cyber safety and security in the country and takes legal action against the violators.

The Ministry of Interior has also been urging people to contact Cyber Crime Investigation Centre in case of any suspicious activities via #Metrash2, call 2347444 or email to cccc@moi.gov.qa