Information session April 14th
Digital etiquette program targets cyberviolence in schools.
April 4th, 2023
Digital Respect is Canada’s expert source on online safety and digital interaction, a company providing expert consulting on the topics of cyberviolence, cyberpsychology and cybercrime.
The rise in cyberbullying among adolescents in Quebec is shocking. According to StatCan[1], only 17% of Canadian youth were affected by forms of cyberviolence in 2014; whereas another study has found that number has risen to 57% among young people in Quebec in 2022[2]. Reports also show that online hate speech rose by 20% during the pandemic[3]. Those victimized by cyberbullying are 2 to 4 times[4] more likely to have suicidal ideation than those who are not. A few initiatives have been put in place at the local, provincial and federal levels. Firstly, the Ministère de la famille has included cyberbullying in their antibullying action plan from 2020-2025[5]. Second, the Government of Canada started to address the issue by organizing roundtables on online safety across the country in 2022[6]. Finally, a forum to address cyberviolence was organized in February 2023 in Montreal by a group called RÉSAL and was attended by over 100 people.[7]
Several initiatives and programs have been put together by different organizations, that aim to address digital literacy, problematic Internet use, cyber safety, traditional bullying and violence in schools. Although these programs are steps in the right direction, they are not treating the roots causes of the issue and unfortunately missing the mark when it comes to curtailing rates of cyberviolence and cyberbullying-related suicide among young people. Digital Respect offers certification to those serving as consultants and speakers on cyber safety and bullying, to refine and audit their content and approach to reflect best practices in cyberviolence prevention. Digital Respect’s specialized knowledge, research, and 17+ years of accumulated expertise to help mitigate the issue using worldwide best practices in cyberviolence prevention and cyber-specific socioemotional educational programs grounded in a theoretical framework of human-computer interaction (HCI), cyberpsychology and the social shaping of technology.
Among the many clients we have consulted for in the past and present are the Quebec Ministry of Education, Prima Danse, YWCA Canada, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, LaSalle College, ENSEMBLE pour le respect de la diversité, and CDÉACF. Our team members have spoken at conferences all over the globe about issues related to cyberviolence. Digital Respect’s services include tailor-made educational programs, trainings, materials, and toolkits; strategic consulting and coaching (including evaluation and audits on schools’ and companies’ current practices in digital safety and culture); as well as a specialized cyberviolence response team consisting of experts in cyberpsychology, cyberlaw and cybersecurity. Our team consists of 3 faculty members and 5 graduates of Polytechnique Montréal’s certificates in cybercrime. Digital Respect cyberviolence prevention program for schools uses a whole-school approach, as well as an antiracist, inclusive, survivor-centered, trauma-informed lens with a focus on developing empathy in online spaces.
We will host an information session on April 14th, 2023, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM that school personnel are invited to participate in, in which we will elaborate on our approach and explain our programming to mitigate cyberviolence in schools. For more information, contact info@digitalrespect.ca
To register, click here.
[1] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/161219/dq161219a-eng.htm
[2] https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/study-finds-57-per-cent-of-young-quebecers-have-been-cyber-stalked-1.6054660
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-59292509
[4] https://www.lapresse.ca/societe/sante/2020-02-04/les-victimes-de-cyberintimidation-plus-a-risque-d-avoir-des-idees-suicidaires
[5] https://www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca/en/intimidation/plan-action-concerte/Pages/index.aspx
[6] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/harmful-online-content/what-we-heard/report.html
[7] https://cipc-icpc.org/nouvelles/3e-colloque-du-resal-pres-de-100-participants-echangent-sur-la-prevention-des-cyberviolences/