Albania, growing concern about violence in social networks among minors

2025-01-13 21:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

In Albania, the protection of children and teenagers in the digital space has taken on another dimension after the murder of a 14-year-old boy by his peer in November of last year. This serious event prompted a wide public debate on the prevention of any form of violence, especially that on social networks. Parents, children and leaders of state institutions and non-governmental organizations told Voice of America that violence on social networks among minors has increased significantly in 20024, highlighting the need for a broad coordination of efforts in schools, families and school, for its prevention.

In Albania last year, according to preliminary data shared with Voice of America by the Ministry of Education, over 2,000 cases of violence were reported and prevented, with physical violence dominating at 34.7%, bullying at 26%, and psychological violence at 25.5%. However, during consultations with nearly 63,000 parents, authorities found that this violence against minors mostly starts on social networks. Therefore, measures have focused, in addition to strengthening physical security, the psychosocial network, or raising awareness among parents, on digital security as part of a new action plan to strengthen school security.

"These are projects beyond the Ministry of Education. In addition to restricting the use of tik-tok, one of them will be the smart city project. It is an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to install smart cameras in several cities of Albania, which includes schools. They are cameras that scan the risks that may come from outside, the use of cold weapons or any other dangerous element. Meanwhile, for the first time we will pilot the creation of digital information processing centers in schools. It is a new role, with journalism students specializing in their academic training on how to process information coming from social networks, how aggression and online bullying is encouraged or how fake news can be understood. These students will be dedicated and will deal with the training of teachers in our schools" Gerti Janaqi, General Director of the Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-University Education, told VOA.

The Center for Children's Rights told VOA that over 400 cases of cyberbullying and hate speech were reported on its Sigurt.al platform in 2024, or 3 times more than the previous year. The director of this center, Altin Hazizaj, points out that the role of parents regarding children's digital safety is important.

"Lack of parental control means kids see whatever they want online. This then translates, for some children, into tendencies such that if a child sees a violent movie or a dangerous game they start and do it all together. A cell phone, a tablet or a computer in the room where the child sleeps, if it is connected to the Internet and is not monitored, is always a tool that endangers the child. So today, the danger is not a car on the street or someone stealing your child on the street. Today, the risk is on the Internet, but parents are not sufficiently aware of this," says Mr. Hazizaj.

The Voice of America spoke with parents and grandparents of some students about the degree of family responsibility in this regard.

"Parents must be very careful, the main thing is the parents. Today, there are 3-year-old children who don't eat food if I don't put my cell phone in front of them" - says Fatbardha Bakiri, grandmother of a student.

"Society also has its role, but the parent is the one who is there at every moment. Who buys the cell phone for the child is the question" - says Elijan Zhini, parent of a student.

"It's not the internet that's bad, it's the parents," says Rakip Demiraj, a student's grandfather.

"Great care is needed, especially in this situation now, it is very difficult. Parents are at work all day, how will they manage?" - says Albina Biduri, also a grandmother of a student.

One of the measures provided by the government's action plan for digital security is also related to parent education and awareness campaigns. Psychologists, on the other hand, say that children's access to inappropriate violent videos or dangerous games on the Internet causes many consequences.

"Starting from the elements that have to do with psychological aspects that are experiences of feelings of anxiety, fear or depression that appear with the physiological factors that have to do with the element of sleep and nutrition. These are important factors in their development and well-being" - says Arjana Muçaj, lecturer of psychology at UT, for Voice of America.

Autoriteti Kombëtar për Sigurinë Kibernetike i tha Zërit të Amerikës se janë rritur ndjeshëm raportimet e të miturve në vitin 2024. Nga 216 rastet e raportuara në platformën kombëtare të këtij institucioni Raporto,(për periudhën janar-nëntor 2024) bullizmi kibernetik është incidenti më i raportuar me 109 raste, ndjekur nga hakerimi, shantazhi, vjedhja e informaconit, përmbajtja seksuale apo ekspozimi i fëmijëve. Shumica e raportimeve janë bërë nga adoleshentët e moshës 13-16 vjeç, ku viktima janë kryesisht vajzat. Ndërkaq edhe policia i konfirmoi Zërit të Amerikës, se në vitin 2024 nga veprat penale të kryera në internet u dëmtuan 12 të mitur, ose tre herë më shumë se 5 vite më parë. Autoriteti Kombëtar për Sigurinë Kibernetike thotë se ka kryer fushata edukuese dhe informuese për sigurinë kibernetike tek fëmijët, dhe se ka përgatitur një manual për këtë qëllim, duke argumentuar se kjo është një betejë me të cilën po ndeshen të gjitha vendet e botës.

Ky institucion ka kryer gjithashtu dhe një sondazh që sjell të dhëna mbi rrjetin social më të përdorur nga fëmijët dhe adoleshentët.

"Nga rreth një mijë pyetësorë të plotësuar nga nxënës të shkollave 9 vjeçare dhe të mesme është vënë re së rrjeti social më i përdorur prej tyre në masën mbi 70% është TikToku. Tre janë rrjetet sociale më të përdorura, TikToku, instagrami dhe snapchati”- thotë Era Gjata, Përgjegjëse e Sektorit të kordinimit të projekteve ndërkombëtare.

“TikTokun do ta mbyllim për një vit”- tha Edi Rama Kryeministër i Shqipërsë gjatë prezantimit të planit të ri të veprimit nga Mnistria e Arsimit, për sigurinë dixhitale të fëmijëve dhe adoleshentëve.

Kjo vjen si një masë e përkohshme e qeverisë me synimin për të zbutur elementët e dhunës online tek të miturit. Por pyetja që shtrohet është: Përse rrjetin social tik - tok dhe jo një tjetër?

“Problemi është që TikToku në vendet tona bazohet në një algoritëm që stimulon të gjitha ato gjëra që nuk duhen stimuluar. TikToku në Kinë promovon se si nxënësit të bëjnë mirë mësimet, se si ruhet natyra, se si është tradita etj. Rrugaçërira, perversitete, dhunë, bullizëm, krim, thika, presa, shpata, revole, euro, dollarë nuk sheh në tik-tokun e Kinës. Ndërsa në tik- tokun jashtë Kinës vetëm llum dhe vetëm qenëri. Çfarë na duhet ne kjo? Dhe këtë e bën algoritmi”- argumentoi Z. Rama gjatë takimeve me prindër në fund të vitit 2024.

Zëri i Amerikës pyeti dhe disa nxënës të moshës 11-12 vjeç në kushte anonimati, në lidhje me përdorimin dhe përmbajtjen e rrjetit social TikTok.

“E kam përdorur. Nuk është një rrjet i mirë për moshën deri në 18 vjeç dhe le të mbyllet. Kishte shumë sharje”- thotë një nxënës.

“E kam përdorur por nuk jam ndjerë ndonjëherë e rrezikuar. Nuk mendoj që është shkaku TikToku për këto që kanë ndodhur”- shprehet një tjetër nxënëse.

"Yes, I used it, but now I don't use it anymore because my parents don't let me. When I used it, it felt a little unsafe from the videos I saw, because of their content. The new trends were dangerous" - says another student.

"I used to watch TikTok for fun. My friends used to send me videos. They were stupid" - says a student.

The Center for Children's Rights does not consider the decision of the officials to temporarily close the TikTok social network to be justified, although this decision, according to the authorities, was made after suggestions from the community of parents.

"The parent who has lost the fight with the child, instead of going and educating the child, says turn off the tap, the water." There are 1.5 million Albanians who use TikTok. They do business, generate income and pay taxes. There are billions of views about Albania and tourism in Albania. It's free advertising. What will these uneducated children who bully each other do? From TikTok they will go to Instagram or even worse to Snapchat and Telegram, which are the most dangerous platforms for the sexual exploitation of children in the whole world" - argues Mr. Hazizaj.

On the other hand, some students themselves say that they have turned to new forms of online communication. They admit to VOA that they are using another app similar to TikTok called Clapper.

However, the government authorities have admitted that the closure of TikTok is a help but not a solution. Meanwhile, when asked by the Voice of America, the Media and Information Agency did not make any comment on the raised concern that the closure of tik tok could also harm many businesses, while the Cyber ??Security Authority confirmed that the TikTok social network is in the process of evaluation, without giving details. how it will be closed.

However, almost all the actors agree when they say that the fight against any form of online violence among children and adolescents requires a broad social commitment, with the involvement of State Institutions, the community of parents, non-governmental organizations and the media. /VOA