A mother is calling for stronger action against online abuse involving students after sharing her daughter’s experience during the first public consultation on the review of the Online Safety Act 2018 at the Nausori Market Women’s Accommodation Centre.
The Fiji Law Reform Commission, in collaboration with the Online Safety Commission, is conducting nationwide consultations to gather feedback and recommendations from the public for the review of the Online Safety Act 2018.
The review will assess the existing online safety laws and recommend reforms where necessary.
The woman says her daughter became a victim of abuse after photos of her were shared on social media.
She says her daughter would often return home upset and repeatedly tell her about the bullying and comments she was facing at school because of the images circulating online.
The mother says she visited the school principal several times, hoping the issue would be properly addressed. However, she felt the matter was not taken seriously enough.
She says despite her daughter denying allegations linked to the photos, the emotional impact continued to grow and affected her confidence and willingness to attend school.
The woman says there were times her daughter told her she no longer wanted to go to school because she feared being judged or ridiculed by other students.
She says after several attempts to resolve the matter through the school, she made the decision to transfer her daughter to another school.
The mother says online abuse involving students can have long-term emotional and mental impacts on children, and stronger measures are needed to stop harmful content from spreading online.
Responding to the concern, Fiji Law Reform Commissioner, David Solvalu says one of the gaps in the current Online Safety Act is the lack of mandatory procedures for schools when cases of online abuse occur.
Solvalu says while the Online Safety Commission currently focuses on awareness and education, there are no clear obligations requiring schools to immediately respond to incidents involving students.
He says the review team is proposing reforms that would require all schools to have standardised protocols and reporting procedures in place for online abuse cases.
He says schools would be required to respond quickly and consistently, rather than handling cases differently or delaying action.
According to Solvalu, schools will also be expected to work directly with the Online Safety Commission so harmful material can be removed from online platforms as quickly as possible through take-down notices or orders.
He says online abuse spreads rapidly and delaying action can make the situation worse for victims.
Solvalu also highlighted the need for child-specific protections within the law, saying children should not be treated in the same way as adults under online safety legislation.
Part time Commissioner Valerie Narain says the proposed changes would place legal responsibilities on schools to act when students report online harm.
Narain says school leaders and teachers would be required to escalate cases and work with relevant agencies, including counsellors and the Online Safety Commission.
INSERT: Narain on reporting abuse in schools 28th May
She says stronger accountability measures are necessary to ensure children receive timely support and protection.
Speaking on the consultations, Solvalu says another issues that was being discussed by attendees was the possibility of social media bans for children.
He says there is currently a task force led by the Ministry of Information, together with the Ministry of Communications and other stakeholders, exploring the issue of a possible social media ban for children.
Solvalu says the review team will support the work of the task force and compile feedback received during the consultations to help inform decision-making.
Meanwhile, the review team is encouraging people to attend the consultations and share their views and experiences to help shape recommendations for reforms to the Online Safety Act 2018.
Consultations will be held at the Sanatan Hall in Samabula on Saturday from 9am to 12pm, after which the team will travel to the Western Division next week.
