Cyberbullying is no joke. It’s not something that you can just easily brush off and tell the victims to “toughen up,” because, unlike bullies of yesteryears, it can happen to anyone, anywhere, and what’s worse is, all of the time.
Given how today’s teenagers are more prone to bullying and are more likely to commit suicide as a result, the issue simply just can’t be ignored.
Portugal is one of the first few countries in the world to make bullying and cyberbullying a crime punishable by imprisonment. But, even though the penalties have already been raised, victims still feel afraid to come out and report. Because of this, many attackers remain unafraid to continue with their malicious ways in using technology, specifically, smartphones, to bully more and more people.
This past September, which is known internationally as the “Suicide Awareness Month,” multiple Portuguese universities teamed up to help protect victims by using a tool that recognizes mobile operators and sends complaints to each regulating body in a particular European country.
Because mobile phone companies are contractually required to provide protection against any form of violence, including bullying, they are required to cancel the cellphone numbers of proven perpetrators.
The website, www.termsagainstbullying.com, also features all kinds of information about bullying and aims to teach audiences about how to recognize, as well as report, the different types of digital violence.
To know more about this initiative, be sure to watch the video below.
