The 12th Annual International Sport and Peace Conference hosted a special Safeguarding and Anti-Cyberbullying Training session focused on empowering parents, educators, and community leaders to protect children online. The training addressed prevention strategies, trauma-informed responses, and practical tools for promoting digital safety and mental well-being.
Jessica Erasmus, former Miss South Africa, shared her personal experience after her own child faced online bullying linked to her public presence on Instagram. Her story underscored the emotional toll that cyberbullying can have on both children and families, and the urgent need for awareness in a world where social media shapes so much of young people’s lives.
Erasmus highlighted the dangers that exist on all social media platforms, including extortion, emotional manipulation, and grooming. She stressed that children must be taught that sharing or posting content without permission is not only harmful but also illegal. In South Africa, children can be held legally accountable from as young as seven for civil offences and twelve for criminal offences.
She encouraged parents to use tools such as Google Family Link and Life360, and to have open conversations with their children about online safety. “Your kid needs to know that saying or posting something without that person’s permission is illegal,” she said. Her organisation also promotes a creative initiative inspired by her child’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”-style poster, encouraging young people to become “Guardians” for cyber safety.
Adding her voice, Henrietta du Preez, a peace advocate and anti-bullying supporter, shared her own experience of her daughter’s struggle with online bullying. She reminded attendees that real change begins with individuals taking responsibility. “If we want to change our communities, it definitely starts with us,” she said.
Resources such as the South African Police Service, the Film and Publication Board, SAHRC, Cybercrime units, and Childline SA were shared to guide parents and educators. The speakers emphasised that open dialogue and awareness remain the strongest tools to safeguard children and build safer digital communities.
