[April 19, 2013] Child safety campaign launched Tweet Apr 19, 2013 (Khaleej Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Cyber bullying is one of the growing child safety concerns hoping to be addressed by a new campaign launched by the Dubai Police and the Belhasa Driving Centre. Speaking on Thursday at the launch of the "Child Safety Campaign 2013', Haresh Vaswani, managing director of advertising agency Adverk, said cyber bullying through web platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube had become a key concern for parents. Recent studies showed 12 per cent of the worldwide teenage population had experienced cyber bullying, he said. "When they're on Facebook or the like, people ask for their pictures, and kids are really attracted to this sort of thing. But pictures and videos are being misused, naughty videos are uploaded. "We've got children from the age of four or five using computers and the internet, which is great for them to learn about developing technology, but they also need to be aware of the circumstances or issues they face." Head of Dubai Police drugs hazard awareness section Captain Juma Bilal Al Suwaidi said police were targeting parents with awareness campaigns about safe online practices, using information from a special police department which monitored the Internet and any accounts entering illegal websites. The department also prohibited access to certain websites, such as pornography, according to UAE regulations, he said. Other key safety issues identified by police research included road safety, school bus safety, particularly following the case of the six-year-old Emirati boy who died after being hit by a school bus in Sharjah in January, and the bad influence of peers and friends, he said. Babyshop marketing manager Aditi Vyas Kumar agreed cyber bullying and Internet safety were areas parents needed more awareness of, and it was their responsibility to protect their children. "Nothing can replace the amount of personal attention kids need to get until they are responsible enough to care for themselves." GEMS Winchester School student Nikita Kongahawita, 13, said cyber bullying did happen to a lot of children at her school. "But we have been taught to inform adults, so we know what to do." The nationwide campaign, which runs till April 25, aims to help children increase their awareness on how to stay safe at home, school, on the roads and in the company of their friends. A colouring and activity book developed by Adverk, 'My Big Child Safety', will be distributed to more than 50 schools in the UAE, highlighting key safety messages including calling 999, internet safety, bullying, riding the bus, seatbelts and getting to school safely. [email protected] ___ (c)2013 the Khaleej Times (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Visit the Khaleej Times (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) at www.khaleejtimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]