Open House: What measures should be taken to keep schoolchildren away from cybercrime?

Parents and schools must collaborate to address this alarming trend. Firstly, fostering open communication at home about responsible online behaviour is crucial. Parents should monitor their children’s online activities and educate them about the legal and ethical implications of sharing such content. Simultaneously, schools should integrate digital literacy programmes into their curriculum and enforce strict disciplinary actions for offenders. Additionally, fostering a supportive and respectful school environment can discourage cyberbullying and promote positive online interactions among students.

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Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

Cell phones should be banned in schools

Parents must take responsibility to save his loved one from crime they should also coordinate to school management so that career of their child must be safe. Cell phones should be banned in schools. Heavy fine to those children who violate the instructions. School management struck the name from school immediately to save the balance students from bad habits. CCTV should be mandatory in each and every class for watching activity of students and teachers controlled by principles to avoid crime. At the time of admission school management take affidavit from parents regarding not used of mobile phone in school premises if found student should be shunted out from school.

Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

To discuss topic in PTMs

We consistently educate students on responsible technology usage and conduct regular discussions on the matter. In the upcoming academic session, we plan to dedicate the first 45 days to raise awareness among students about cybercrime and its repercussions. Additionally, we prioritise discussing this topic in parent-teacher meetings to ensure that every child is well-informed and refrains from engaging in such activities. — Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, Director, School Education

Parents, teachers must work in tandem

It is sad that the school going students have resorted to such dirty acts of cybercrime. They need to be inculcated good habits. The schools can play a better role. They can teach good habits and morals in the moral science classes. Parents also should keep a good check on the daily habits and acts of their wards. In fact they should try to prolong the delivery of the mobile phones to their children. Law should be allowed to take its own course for the juvenile criminals as well.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Create safe online space for children

Create a safe space for child to share their concerns, and listen without judgment. Social media is a common platform for cyberbullying and other online dangers. Monitor child’s social media accounts, and have access to their passwords. Encourage child to only connect with people they know in real life and avoid sharing personal information online. If child is a victim of cybercrime, take immediate action. Document the incident and report it to the appropriate authorities, such as the police or the social media platform where the incident occurred. Provide emotional support to child and seek professional help if necessary. Educate child about the dangers of the Internet, set rules for Internet surfing and use parental controls. Taking these steps, help the child to keep safe.

Capt Amar Jeet (Retd), Kharar

Parents must counsel their children

The excess of mobile phones to children at adolescent age has led to cybercrimes. Schoolchildren have engaged in sharing of morphed and objectionable pictures of their classmates on social media in the recent past. It is an issue of great importance for the parents of the children and schools to monitor the activities of the students. Parents must also counsel their children and monitor their phones details in friendly manner to stop such activities. School authorities may also conduct moral and informative lecture on cybercrimes for the young students to make them aware of the consequences of such acts.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (Retd), Mohali

Take collective action to Tackle problem

Parents can protect their children by limiting mobile use, schools must educate students on the dangers of cybercrimes. Government intervention with robust cyber laws is crucial. Media plays a role in fostering awareness. Confronting cybercrime requires a collective will to reshape mindset. Every problem has a solution; it’s our shared responsibility to combat cyber threats head-on.

Vijay Katyal, Panchkula

Amend provisions of Juvenile Justice Act

The Juvenile Justice Act should be amended to treat teenagers above 15 years as adults if involved in any criminal activity including theft, murder, rape etc. Many hardened criminals are using children below 18 years to commit heinous crimes and get absolved under the shadow of existing toothless JJ Act. Our law makers and implementers should learn to change with time.

K C Rana, Chandigarh

Monitor your ward’s social media use

Parents should set strict rules for their children’s Internet usage in their homes by fixing time limits. Spell out the websites and apps they can access. Sensitise them about the pitfalls of engaging with strangers online. Make optimal use of devices and apps that have parental controls by blocking inappropriate content. Create a safe space for your child to share their concerns. Effectively monitor your child’s social media accounts. Schools should conduct lectures on specific actions to be taken in case one is being victimised.

BRIGADIER ADVITYA MADAN, CHANDIGARH

Educate children on Artificial intelligence

Cybercrime cases have increased many fold among school children due to easy access mobile technology. The need of the hour is that parents and teachers play great role by educating schoolchildren on artificial intelligence and its side effects, which ultimately leads to cybercrimes. Lastly, continue learning on ill-effects of cybercrime must be must be propagated.

Col TBS Bedi (Retd), Mohali

Judicious use of social media needed

Parents and schools must educate children about responsible online behaviour, including the ethical use of social media. Supervising online activities, fostering open communication, and teaching digital literacy are vital. Implementing strict consequences for cyber misconduct and providing counselling support are also essential measures.

Prithvee Yakhmi

Admn should take necessary steps

The administration should take necessary steps immediately. There should be awareness among the students to prevent such cybercrimes by counselling. The parents must give proper attention to their children.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Keep tabs on activities of schoolchildren

Students must be educated about the pros and cons of the social media. They should be told about the privacy check on personal accounts while uploading the pictures online. Schools must assure to keep the privacy of the students online. It is the duty of the parents and teachers to educate children about the usage of social media, technology and keep a tab on their activities to catch of any act of cybercrime.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Awareness need of the hour

Schoolchildren indulging in cybercrime is a matter of grave concern. It is the high time that the parents at home teach their children to use Internet sensibly. At the same, time school authorities are required to teach the students not to adhere to bad habits, behave with the female students in a better manner. Awareness to the school children is the need of the hour.

MR Bhateja, Naya Gaon

Teach students moral, family values

Parents and teachers can play a vital role to educate children. It is essential to teach them moral, family values and promote ethical conduct. Half-hearted measures only add lead to further problems

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Collaborate with law enforcement agencies

It is the duty of the parents to monitor children’s online activity and have open conversations about their digital interactions. Always educate children about responsible online behaviour, including the consequences of cyber bullying and sharing objectionable content strict guidelines must be implemented by the administration. Internet service providers should track and address instances of cybercrime swiftly. Teach children about consent and the importance of respecting other’s privacy.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Ban entry of minors in cyber cafes

Nowadays, students have free access to the Internet in schools and it becomes the moral duty of the teachers to block the porn sites. The cyber cafe owners must not give entry to persons below 18 years and allow others only after verifying their identity cards and also the parents must not hand over the smart phones to their young children. Adopting these small measures will help in solving the problem.

Savita Kuthiala

Schools must have moral studies classes

It is really sad and tragic that young children are abusing technology and committing cybercrimes. Further, it is really frightening to know that young minds are committing such acts without any fear and remorse. Everyone is to be blamed for this decay in our society. We as parents need to sensitise our children about our culture and values. The schools must have moral studies classes with a trained psychologist to counsel the children in the schools on a regular basis. The administration and the police need to build confidence in the society including the children so that all such crimes can be reported without delay and hesitation. The media too can highlight all such issues with prominent coverage of all such incidents. Let’s stand together to stop this cultural and moral slide in our society.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Responsible internet usage need of hour

Heavy technological investment in childrens’ education has not been matched by serious conversations centred on responsible Internet usage and equality. Schools and parents have a critical role to play in educating children on gender equality. Digital platforms which claim to have zero tolerance towards content that violates community standards must also explain why such abuses go undetected, despite their claims about AI driven technologies to deter them.

SANJAY CHOPRA, MOHALI

High time to nip the evil in the bud

Every coin has two sides. Internet can be a great learning tool, but many students misuse it too. Children are the future of the nation so society, parents and teachers must watch their activities. Students should be advised regarding proper utilisation of Internet. It is never too late to mend. Jest with an ass and he will slap you in the head with his tail. Nip the evil in the bud. Society, parents and teachers should understand their responsibility to stop bad activities of the children. Proper counselling should be done on how to utilise the cyber system.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Avoid uploading personal images

In co-educational institutions, friendship and closeness among boys and girls is a natural phenomenon. The students should be selective and alert about the photos being shared on social media. Posting sensitive or personal images, which can be misused, must be avoided. The students in the educational institutions therefore be warned against any such derogatory activity.

SS Arora, Mohali

Limit mobile usage of youngsters

Latest gadgets and technology make everything possible, which makes life easy for us. But there is a grey side of the latest technology also. Students sometimes use these for the wrong purpose. To curb these, parents should check the search history, limit the mobile usage, and keep a check on their friends’ circle and school activities. Children should be motivated to take part in outdoor activities.

Avinash goyal, Chandigarh

Parents should keep an eye on kids

Mobile phones should be banned on the school campus. There should be restricted usage of mobile phones depending upon its need, age, class and scope of information in school hours. School administration is the custodian of students during school hours and must lay strict rules of usage of mobile phones. Online classes trend which started during Covid-19 also need to be reviewed and shifted back to textbook teaching and learning in schools. Schools should educate the students about cybercrime and its consequences. Parents should allow limited usage of mobile phones at homes and keep an eye on kids.

Pritpal Singh Gill, SAS Nagar

Form cybercrime prevention squad

Schools are slowly becoming cybercrime hubs. It is of utmost importance to educate the students and make them aware about such things through awareness sessions and workshops. They should be taught about the steps to stay safe online. Strict punishment must be slapped to those involved in such crime. The schools should enhance the security of their websites and be aware of any such crimes, through cybercrime grievance redressal forums. Also, the authorities must deploy a cybercrime prevention squad to guide the schools and their students about the prevention of such cybercrimes.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK

The proliferation of illegal street vendors in Chandigarh is on the rise, with their presence now extending to new areas, causing inconvenience to residents. What should be done to make the City free from encroachments?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com