NANAWAGAN si Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones na proteksiyonan ang mga bata laban sa online abuse.

Ayon kay Briones, maraming mga estudyante ang nabibiktima ng online abuse.

“The danger is very real. I’m not speaking from [or] just reading statistical reports on how children are harmed,” sabi ni Briones.

Aniya, ayon sa National Baseline Study of Violence Against Children noong 2016, isa sa dalawang bata sa bansa ang nakaranas ng ilang uri ng cyberbullying — sexual exploitation o pananakot at lahat ng uri ng nagbabantang sitwasyon.

“I know concrete examples of very, very young children who are lured into practices, into ideas which start in cyberspace and end up with physical as well as face-to-face meetings with those who will dare to abuse them and put other negative thoughts in their mind especially as they are learning,” dagdag pa niya.

Sinabi ni Briones na pinalalakas ng DepEd ang kanilang pagsisikap na protektahan ang mga bata laban sa lahat ng uri ng pang-aabuso, lalo na sa online.

“We must remember that at the end of the day, our objective is the protection of our children, our objective is to keep them safe from harm and to prevent them ever, ever getting into trouble with those who will dare to harm them,” ayon sa kalihim.