Adolescents and youth in the Republic of Moldova will have the opportunity to learn how to protect themselves from online risks better. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched local awareness events on preventing online violence as part of the #bodyright campaign. These events will take place in various districts with the participation of volunteers and students from high schools, colleges, and Youth centers. They will involve intellectual games and discussions with online safety experts.
On the International Day of Internet Safety, over 80 young people from the Polytechnic College in Bălți participated in the first #ClickWithoutViolence event. The attendees discussed various forms of digital violence, recognizing risks, and response measures.
"Beyond the screen, thousands of people, especially girls and women, suffer from comments, manipulated images, or hate promoted on social networks. We launched the #bodyright campaign in Moldova to publicly discuss this phenomenon and identify solutions. By informing young people and engaging them in the global #bodyright movement, we contribute to a safer virtual space for everyone," mentioned Irina Lipcanu, Communication Analyst, UNFPA Moldova.
During the event, participants played the "Click Without Violence" quiz, an intellectual game designed specifically to identify responses to challenges that may arise online. The youth formed ten teams and had one minute each to find answers to each of the 25 questions related to online safety.
"To be safe online, it's essential to change the passwords of social media accounts at least every six months. It's crucial to be cautious about whom we interact online and to demonstrate good manners when communicating with someone on the Internet," said Cristian Ștefanet, reflecting on the lessons learned from the game.
"Now we no longer start classes with introductory elements but move directly to discussions on much more advanced topics about the use of information technologies. Of course, there are still uncovered themes regarding ethics and online safety. We are grateful to UNFPA for informing students about forms of online violence and how young people facing such challenges should protect themselves," added Victoria Catană, information security teacher at the Polytechnic College in Bălți.
The interest of young people in digital violence was also maintained by actor Cătălin Lungu, who supports the #bodyright campaign.
"We've come to live a good part of our lives online, and we must respect ourselves as we do in real life. The virtual space also has its limits and is not a playground. I urge you to be careful about what you write and distribute, as behind the screen are real people," the actor told the students, who bombarded him with questions and photo sessions.
The #bodyright campaign is a global movement against digital violence. UNFPA Moldova launched the campaign nationally in partnership with Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labor of the Republic of Moldova, the Parliament, the Council of Europe, the Government of the United Kingdom, the Women's Law Center, the International La Strada Center, and Orange Company. Its aim is to increase awareness of online violence forms and mobilize actions and solutions to combat this phenomenon.
The next #ClickWithoutViolence event will take place at the "Ion Creangă" Theoretical High School in Cahul on February 19.
Globally, eight out of ten women have been directly or indirectly involved in digital violence, often manifesting in a sexualized manner. Among the most common forms are cyberbullying, cyberflashing (sending obscene images by strangers), doxxing (accumulating data about a person and using it against them), hate speech, and the use of manipulated images and videos (deepfakes).
According to a study conducted by the International La Strada Center, in the Republic of Moldova, 20% of adolescents were victims of digital violence in 2021. This figure is higher compared to 2018 when 17% of adolescents reported being victims of cyberbullying. The research showed that boys (22%) are more exposed to digital violence compared to girls (18%), and boys are also more often online aggressors compared to girls.
