Chief Superintendent of Police Sophia Eva Ennim of the Formed Police Unit, has advised girls to report all forms of harassment and abuse from people on social media to the Police.
She said harassment and abuse, including insults, threats, and blackmail could cause emotional trauma and depression.
Chief Supt Ennim in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) gave advice on how girls and young women could safeguard themselves from Internet sexual predators after MTN Ghana Foundation in collaboration with Mobile Web-Ghana sensitized 60 girls as part of the celebration of this year’s Girls in ICT Day.
“Girls in ICT Day” was instituted by the International Telecommunications Union, and celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of April, to encourage girls and young women to pursue studies and careers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
This year’s celebration was on the theme: ‘‘Access and Safety.’’
Chief Supt Ennim said it was an offense for one to harass and abuse another on social media, hence, the need to report to the Police.
She noted that some of the girls who were harassed on social media were scared but ignorant of the assistance they could be provided when they reported such issues to the right quarters.
“Make your parents your friends, be open and report every social media harassment you may experience to them,’’ she advised.
Chief Supt Ennim said some of the girls blamed themselves for the abuses and harassment since they might have initiated and entertained the perpetrators, thus, they would rather be shy and secretive about them and suffer.
She urged them to desist from entertaining strangers on social media and block them if they felt harassed.
The Police Officer called on young women and girls to be careful and vigilant as they used social media including the kind of content they posted.
She noted that some ladies were denied jobs, although they were qualified because of the indecent content that was found on their social media pages.
“The Police, we’re on course in clamping down cyberbullies,” the officer assured.
