Child maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, or exploitation resulting in harm to the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity. Clearly, publicly shaming a minor is an abuse of power and a form of child maltreatment. To protect the basic human rights of children, we ask that Facebook and other social media sites establish parameters which prohibit public shaming of minors via photo/video and allow users to flag “suspected child maltreatment,” and/or “bullying of a minor.” Please help us make Facebook and other social media sites safe for our children.
Dear Facebook,
Over the last few years, as more and more of our personal lives are shared online, a trend has emerged, one where parents post “punishment videos” in an attempt to correct behavior and instill “discipline.”
These videos are posted on social media sites such as Facebook and then shared around the world in violation of a child’s right to privacy. The consequences of social media shaming are too severe to ignore. Recording and/or posting videos of children being punished is public shaming and a form of emotional abuse.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the pain of public shaming, which can result in enduring mental health problems. Some children go so far as to take their own lives.
Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share, to make the world more open and connected and to provide a means for friends and family to discover what's going on in the world, and share and express what matters to them.
To protect this mission and to protect the basic human rights of children, we ask that your Safety and Advisory Board establish parameters to prohibit the public shaming of minors via photo or videos uploaded and/or shared on Facebook and allow users to flag “suspected child maltreatment,” and/or “bullying of a minor.”
Please help us make Facebook s
We believe that… Child maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.
Clearly, an adult publicly shaming a minor is an abuse of power and a form of child maltreatment.
Please help us make Facebook safe for our children.
Sincerely,
