Online Mate and Hate Crime

I posted on the Choice Forum earlier to say that I am trying to network with people/organisations/projects who are doing or planning any work on online hate and mate crime.

I had a teleconference with colleagues from Association for Real Change, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities and Respond.

We would now like to hook up with anyone else with an interest. If you would like to join our e-network please email me at [email protected]

We hope that by linking up we can share ideas, expertise and resources. Our discussions at the teleconference covered the following:

  • There is much activity around the issue, and probably far more that we are unaware of. This needs to be co-ordinated and resources maximised. We need a steering group and/or virtual network.
  • Initially work needs to take place at a basic level. Experience suggests that people do not even understand what ‘personal information’ means.
  • Work needs to be done with/for support staff so they can understand how to support people with online safety.
  • Work needs to be done with families. Experience suggests that families are very risk averse and restricting people access to the internet. There is a balance to be struck!
  • Safety Net’s experience suggests that MOST bullying experienced by younger people with Learning Disabilities is now via social media.
  • The internet is changing society and how we relate. The language of Facebook etc. is all about ‘friends’ who people have never met. We need to respond to this shift.
  • Safety Net has gathered examples where people have been exploited by pay day loan companies etc. online. At some point we may need to think about who we can influence re: regulation.

Many thanks

Rod Landman

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