Sexting and cyberbullying: advice centers for young people and parents
Sexting and cyberbullying are a growing problem on the Internet. Various counseling centers help affected parents and adolescents so that you can prevent worse things from the first sign.
Advice centers for sexting and cyberbullying - they will help you here
You can get online help from young people at Juuport, contact the school's trusted teachers, or file a complaint with the police. You can find advice centers on the Internet here:
- The self-protection platform Juuma advises young people from 12 to 21 on an equal footing on topics such as cyberbullying and online violence. The Lower Saxony State Media Authority is the operator of the offer of young people for young people.
- Klicksafe is the EU initiative for more security on the Internet. The portal offers numerous tips for dealing with social networks.
- "Schattenriss" is an internet advice center especially for girls who have been victims of sexual assault.
- General online advice on sexuality for young people can also be found at Pro Familia. The offer with trained employees has been around since the mid-90s.
- The "number against grief" has been tried and tested for over 30 years. Children, teenagers and adults can call there free of charge and seek advice anonymously.
- "Ich im Netz" - an initiative by Das Telefonbuch.de - collects articles that are intended to make it easier for young people to use the Internet. Parents will also find some useful tips on the site.
- Have you noticed problematic websites with child pornography, racist or other illegal content? Then you can report them to the EU-funded Internet Complaints Office.
- For adults who are sexually attracted to children, there is anonymous advice and therapy with confidentiality under Kein-Täter-werden.de.
Sexting and cyberbullying - that's how you react properly
- Talk to your children, completely free of charge. Make it clear to you that your own erotic photos - also intended as a gag - can be followed online for a lifetime. The blame is not on the victim, but on the perpetrator.
- Your child needs you as a contact person whom he trusts. Therefore, despite the initial excitement, you should take a lot of time and fight your child against sexting or cyberbullying.
- Ensure the evidence (e.g. by taking screenshots and exporting Facebook messages or WhatsApp chats) and get advice from the police. It has its own specialists for this.
- Talk to your child's school and call in counselors. Some students already have specially trained staff.
Background: what exactly is sexting?
The word 'sexting' is made up of 'sex' and 'texting', meaning sending SMS. This means sending photos of the genitals. According to a US studio in 2008, 48% of children and adolescents have already received sexting messages,
- The legal situation: Child pornography is prohibited in most countries.
- In Germany, sexting in minors can be a violation of §184b or §184c of the Criminal Code. There is an absolute ban up to the age of 14, 14-17 year olds can possibly be used to mitigate punishment with the consent of the adolescent.
Background: what is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is bullying on the Internet - including on smartphones. This can take the form of threats, insults, or harassment. At the moment, cyberbullying is not yet punishable, but the individual offenses behind it are: insult (§ 185), defamation (§ 186), defamation (§ 187), violation of the confidentiality of the word (§ 201), violation of the highly personal sphere of life by taking pictures (Section 201a [1]), coercion (Section 240 [1]), threat (Section 241), representation of violence (Section 131 [1]).
- Bullying on the Internet is a very serious problem, and some young people have already committed suicide.
- A little teasing at school can take on huge dimensions on Facebook & Co.
Tip: There are also technical support options, for example the "Avira Social Shield" as protection against "social" cyberbullying. Read more details in the practical tip.