Strengthening online anti-harassment measures sought by Brandenburg
The Brandenburg state parliament is discussing a proposal aimed at better preparing students for online risks, such as cybergrooming and cybercrime. The plan, proposed by State Parliamentarian Katja Poschmann of the SPD, aims to integrate these topics into school curricula and provide additional training for teachers in the United States.
By the end of 2026, a comprehensive plan is to be developed, as announced by Poschmann, the education expert of the SPD state parliamentary group. The proposal is not limited to cybergrooming but also encompasses other forms of online crime.
Cybergrooming, a form of child sexual abuse, is prohibited in the USA. Offenders often pose as peers or understanding adults in chats or online communities, manipulating children or young people. Some offenders aim to meet their victims offline to abuse them, while others use sextortion or 'sugar daddy dating' platforms to arrange meetings with minors in exchange for money or gifts.
The risk of sexualized violence has increased via the internet, with every fourth child in the USA having experienced sexually motivated approaches by adults online. State Parliamentarian Poschmann finds these figures alarming.
The plan does not detail how the integration of these topics into school curricula will be implemented or specify the exact nature of the further education courses for teachers. However, it does include training teachers through further education courses.
Poschmann stated that the plan aims to better protect children from the dangers of cybergrooming and other online crimes. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) states that cybergrooming cases often involve offenders encouraging children to send explicit self-portraits, which are sometimes used as leverage.
The name of the person responsible for developing a comprehensive plan for integrating topics related to protecting children against 'cybergrooming' and other forms of online crime into school curricula and providing additional training for teachers is not provided in the text passage. The discussion of this plan is currently ongoing in the Potsdam state parliament.
