Scams and cyberbullying. A webinar to share practical tools with parents
Smartphones, social networks, online video games and chat rooms are an integral part of the daily lives of children and teenagers. According to Istat, over 90% of young people between the ages of 11 and 19 spend at least two hours a day on the internet, making the digital experience a continuous social environment that can no longer be separated from offline life. But this social space also exposes them to real risks, which are often underestimated.
In 2023, 68.5% of young people aged between 11 and 19 reported having experienced at least one offensive, disrespectful or violent behaviour online and/or offline in the previous 12 months. Even more worrying is the data on continuity: one in five young people (21%) are repeatedly bullied, several times a month, and for about 8% of adolescents, the episodes are even weekly.
Cyberbullying is an increasingly significant component of this phenomenon. Istat reports that 34% of young people have experienced online harassment at least once in the last year, while almost 8% have been victims on a recurring basis. Boys are the most affected, reporting repeated incidents of cyberbullying in 8.9% of cases, compared to 6.6% of girls.
Age also makes a difference: young people between the ages of 11 and 13 are more exposed to continuous bullying than older children. Among the most common forms are insults and abuse, but also social exclusion, which particularly affects girls.
The role of parents: from concern to prevention
Faced with these figures, it becomes clear how important it is to strengthen the educational skills of adults, to recognise the signs of distress, prevent risky situations and guide children and young people towards a more conscious use of the internet. With this objective in mind, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS is promoting a free webinar for parents of children aged between 8 and 18, dedicated to online safety and the prevention of phenomena such as digital scams, grooming and cyberbullying.
During the meeting, which will take place online on Zoom, experts from the Postal Police and trainer Susanna Bulgheroni will offer practical advice, concrete examples and useful tools to apply in everyday life, both at home and at school.
A local initiative for digitally aware citizenship
The webinar is part of the activities of the Digital Facilitation Centres of Roma Capitale, promoted by Roma Capitale – Strategic Planning and PNRR Department, and is part of the Vivi Internet, al meglio project, the training programme supported by Google.org to help families, schools and educational communities develop responsible digital skills. For the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, supporting parents and adult guardians means strengthening prevention, building educational alliances and transforming alarming data into concrete actions for protection and growth, because the digital well-being of young people depends first and foremost on adult awareness.
