An anti-cyberbullying campaign was recently launched at Stellenbosch University with the aim to address this increasingly problematic form of bullying and the impact it has on the mental health of students.
This was according to Nadine Christians, communications and marketing coordinator for the Equality Unit at Stellenbosch University, who said that bullying in any form is “abhorrent and unacceptable”. The campaign is a collaborative effort between the Equality Unit and the Division for Student Affairs (DSAf) to address cyberbullying, according to Christians. It began on 10 August and will run until 8 September, she said.
“Bullying in whichever form – face-to-face or online – is abhorrent and unacceptable, and cyberbullying is becoming increasingly problematic,” said Nadine Christians, communications and marketing coordinator for the Equality Unit. PHOTO: Marianne Francis Stewart
“Bullying online allows students to be targeted easily and in some cases anonymously, and we have seen first-hand how this not only affects the mental health of students, but also their self-esteem and their studies,” said Christians, in email correspondence with MatieMedia.
The DSAf requested that a focused effort be made to address cyberbullying and its harms, according to Dr Choice Makhetha, senior director of the division.
The campaign started with an online webinar on 11 August, in which Emma Sadleir, a social media law expert and founder of the Digital Law Company, led a discussion on cyberbullying and the law. This was according to Christians.
“It is important that students know about the legal recourse if/when they have [been] bullied online. This webinar included looking at what legal recourse there is if you have been cyberbullied, doxing, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), types of cyberbullying, […] and anonymous social media accounts,” said Christians.
The anti-cyberbullying campaign at Stellenbosch University (SU) will look at cyberbullying and the differently abled, racism, identity, cancel culture and shame. Students should be aware that there are legal consequences to partaking in cyberbullying, said Nadine Christians, communications and marketing coordinator for the Equality Unit at SU. “Many times comments are posted and shared, because it is believed to be opinion…but in fact is an act of cyberbullying,” Christians, said. PHOTO: Supplied/The Equality Unit
Instagram live conversations will also take place as part of the campaign, in order to address themes relating to cyberbullying, said Christians. These include issues such as queerphobia, sexual harassment, reporting and the law, she said.
Cyberbullying and the law
There is a need for people to be aware of the legal consequences of cyberbullying, said Sadleir during the webinar on 11 August. Criminal acts in the digital space can include defamation, breach of privacy, harassment, crimen injuria, hate speech, image-based violence, fake news and theft of intellectual property, she explained.
The Cybercrimes Act and POPIA will allow for cyberbullies to be prosecuted, according to Sadleir. Section 14 of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to privacy, but privacy is not an absolute right, she said.
“When what you are doing is illegal, then your right to privacy falls out the window,” said Sadleir in the webinar.
Content on the internet can be restricted when that content comes into conflict with other people’s rights to equality, religion, privacy or dignity, according to Sadleir.
“We all have the right to freedom of expression, and I would go as far as to say it is the cornerstone of our democracy, but it cannot be regarded as an absolute right,” said Sadleir.
A survey conducted by Digimune, a digital privacy and social media protection company, revealed that 51.5% of children have been victims of cyberbullying in South Africa, said Christians.
“Students need to be alert on social media, careful of the material they put online, value and respect others, and report any cases of cyberbullying,” said Dr Choice Makhetha, senior director of the Division for Student Affairs at Stellenbosch University. INFOGRAPHIC: Marianne Francis Stewart
Student Affairs hopes to “promote awareness and empower students and colleagues with tools to use if and when they encounter cyberbullying situations, [and] to reduce occurrences of cyberbullying among students and staff”, said Makhetha.