VLADIMIR BRONFENBRENER SPEAKING FOR THE STANDARD NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE NEW THREATS IN CYBERSPACE
24 January 2022
Vladimir Bronfenbrenner - Secretary General of the Black Sea Security Academy at VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" and a famous expert on national security in Israel, spoke about the new threats to children and the younger generation in cyberspace for the newspaper "Standard". He put an emphasis on cyberbullying adolescents. "Years ago, our parents warned us not to open the door to strangers, today it's the same, but in cyberspace. They offer teenagers free access to sites in order to steal their passwords," he said.
"Today's children can be called the first generation of children in Internet. If parents are aware of the dangers of surfing and discuss them with their children in a language suitable for their age and explain that it is about their safety and not an intrusion into their personal life, children will start sharing what bothers them online and will ask for advice. Ultimately giving the child access to the Internet without explanation and control is like giving them a car key and telling him: “Drive the way you want, hit yourself and crash into others.", added the Secretary General of BSSA.
He gave an example with Israel, which can be considered a leader in the field of fighting against cyberbullying. In 2016, the National Bureau for Child Protection Online - Moked 105, a division of LAHAV 433, an analogue of the Bulgarian General Directorate Combating Organized Crime, was established there, where experts from six ministries work together. One of their tasks is research and analysis of the issues concerning the types of dangers for children in the network and measures for prevention against them, including the issuance of recommendations for protection. On this basis, a programme has been developed for children, in which they undergo short training in schools, and within 20 to 40 minutes children gain knowledge on how to use the Internet safely, which significantly reduces the number of injuries. This programme, called "Cyber Defenders", Vladimir Bronfenbrenner brought to Bulgaria in 2019 to make Bulgarian children more secure online.
You can read the full text of the interview here ►
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"Today's children can be called the first generation of children in Internet. If parents are aware of the dangers of surfing and discuss them with their children in a language suitable for their age and explain that it is about their safety and not an intrusion into their personal life, children will start sharing what bothers them online and will ask for advice. Ultimately giving the child access to the Internet without explanation and control is like giving them a car key and telling him: “Drive the way you want, hit yourself and crash into others.", added the Secretary General of BSSA.
He gave an example with Israel, which can be considered a leader in the field of fighting against cyberbullying. In 2016, the National Bureau for Child Protection Online - Moked 105, a division of LAHAV 433, an analogue of the Bulgarian General Directorate Combating Organized Crime, was established there, where experts from six ministries work together. One of their tasks is research and analysis of the issues concerning the types of dangers for children in the network and measures for prevention against them, including the issuance of recommendations for protection. On this basis, a programme has been developed for children, in which they undergo short training in schools, and within 20 to 40 minutes children gain knowledge on how to use the Internet safely, which significantly reduces the number of injuries. This programme, called "Cyber Defenders", Vladimir Bronfenbrenner brought to Bulgaria in 2019 to make Bulgarian children more secure online.
You can read the full text of the interview here ►