The online world literally occupies a large part of the lives of children and adolescents. A world in which it is possible to play, chat with friends, meet others, flirt, simply by pressing a button, without leaving home, from the sofa. Dangers? They know that there are, that they can be harassed by colleagues or strangers, that the identity of that new friend may not be real, that they can be blackmailed... They know the theory well, but normally that happens to others , never to them. And if it happens to them, they will act without it causing any problem. But it's not true. We are all exposed to the dangers of networks and these dangers can cause a lot of harm and pain, especially to minors.
This is what the Citizen Participation unit of the National Police tries to explain to students between 10 and 14 years old. Talks on cybersecurity, included within the Master Plan for Coexistence and Improvement of Security in Educational Centers and their Environments. To date, they have developed more than 31,000 training activities in 5,220 schools, which represents more than 600,000 students. 55% of all this prevention activity had to do with security in digital environments, which translates into more than 17,000 talks, according to the Police.
What do they explain to them? That the data cannot be provided, because that is like walking naked in the street, allowing strangers to use themselves as they please. And, of course, no photos. That the profiles are closed, that they do not allow anyone to access their information and that they protect their privacy as much as possible. “It is the most important thing we have,” insist the agents who attended the Patricio de San José school in Madrid a few days ago.
But, in an environment in which not being in the online world without sharing photos does not enter much into the minds of teenagers (nor of adults), the agents (Abrahán and Vanesa) give them the keys to defend themselves. “If you are being harassed or have a problem, you have to be very clear about the steps to follow, which are none other than telling a trusted adult what is happening to you, whether it be your parents, a teacher...Then, block to the one who is harming you to prevent him from continuing to do so, although first, take all possible evidence. Do not delete the messages or images, because they are the evidence you need to go to the police station and report,” the agents point out. Because the only way to end this digital violence is by denouncing and holding those who carry it out responsible for their actions. Students repeat these steps over and over, almost by heart, in an attempt to have them engraved in their minds.
This talk took place on Friday, when the National Police showed the comic Los Guardianes de la Red at a school, a collaborative work of the Edelvives publishing group and the National Police.
The comic aims to raise awareness among students between 10 and 14 years old about the risk involved in misusing the Internet, an indispensable tool in our daily lives. The National Police assures that there is no specific profile of young people who can be perpetrators or victims, but there may be risk factors that predispose people to commit acts of this style.
