ANNUAL REPORTOF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
88
Rapid development of online technologies is contributing to the spread of the so-called cyberbullying –
a form of violence using electronic communications.
According to an online survey of more than twelve thousand parents and children in Ukraine about their
experience of using the Internet, conducted by experts of the International Telecommunication Union,
60% children need protection on the Internet. At the same time, the vast majority of parents – whom,
according to the survey, the children normally contact to seek protection – lack information on how to
protect their children31.
The Representative of the Commissioner for the Observance of the Rights of the Child and the Family
took part in the 23rd Annual Conference of the European Network of Children’s Ombudspersons (ENOC)
(Belfast, UK, September 2019) that focused on the violations of the rights of children and young people
on the Internet, in particular cyberbullying32.
CHAPTER 3
Following joint work of the conference participants, the ENOS General Assembly issued an official
statement to international and national organizations, governments of ENOS Member States, business
representatives, as well as all digital producers to take effective measures to protect children’s rights in
the digital era. This statement was published on the official website of the Commissioner.
In cooperation with Docudays UA, representatives of the Secretariat of the Commissioner took part in a
round table on ways to effectively combat cyberbullying and cyber grooming in Ukraine and developed
a leaflet on combating cyberbullying that was presented in June 2019.
The Secretariat of the Commissioner also contributed to the development of the National Concept of
Safe Internet for Every Child.
Protection of children’s right to dignity and safety of children on the Internet needs further monitoring
and remains on the Commissioner’s watch list.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for effective prevention of bullying:
1. To accelerate the adoption of the procedure to respond to bullying.
2. To strengthen preventive measures to combat bullying.
To the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of
Ukraine and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine – to take measures to strengthen awareness
raising activities on combating the bullying/cyberbullying and providing safe Internet space for children.
31
www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/2820237-kozna-treta-ditina-v-ukraini-pidsila-na-internet.html.
32
http://enoc.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ENOC-2019-Statement-on-Childrens-Rights-in-the-Digital-Environment.pdf.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents