The era of accelerated digitalization, alongside with its benefits, also brings dangers, particularly when it comes to human rights. The generations of young people growing up in the digital age are the most vulnerable, while in Montenegro there is low trust in the competent institutions regarding the reporting of online violence, as well as a generally low level of media and digital literacy. Precisely to improve knowledge and raise awareness on this issue, the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) has created an interactive guide for protection against digital violence.
The guide, primarily intended for young people but also for all other internet users, explains key threats in a simple and understandable way and offers concrete protection methods.
The guide covers a wide range of topics, including cyberbullying and hate speech, sexual extortion (sextortion), doxing (publishing personal information), online grooming, identity theft, phishing scams, and privacy violations. The key message is that violence in digital space should be reported, and help should be sought. The goal is to inspire young people to share it further and contribute to a culture of collective responsibility and mutual support in combating violence on the internet.
The author of the guide is Branko Džakula, a Montenegrin cybersecurity expert, while the illustrations and design of the guide were created by Dragana Koprivica. The guide is published in electronic form as a publication, as a set of visuals for social media, making its content more accessible to young people.
“Digital violence is not an ‘internet problem’. It is a real attack on the rights, dignity, and mental health of young people. When children and young people are not supported in understand their rights online, we leave them unprotected in the space where they spend hours every day. With this guide, we want to break the silence, empower young people and clearly tell them: you are not alone, you are not guilty, and you have the right to protect yourself. Every visual, every sentence, every click they share – is an act of resistance to the normalization of digital violence and a step toward an internet where solidarity and safety are the norm, not the exception. Everyone deserves to be safe and respected online, and those who know their rights and how to react – become more resilient, braver, and more confident in the digital space. That is the goal of this guide“, explains Branko Džakula.
CCE emphasizes that human rights must be equally defended in the digital space, as online violence is not a virtual threat but a real violation of dignity and safety. This guide therefore represents an important step towards strengthening young people’s knowledge and resilience against digital threats, encouraging the practice of reporting violence, solidarity, and shared responsibility in the online environment.
The guide is part of the project “Protection of Rights and Promotion of Digital Citizenship – Montenegrin Digital Shield (MDS)”, implemented by CCE in partnership with the SHARE Foundation from Serbia, in cooperation with the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU), and with the financial support of the European Union and co-funding from the Ministry for Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs.
Sara Čabarkapa, Active Citizenship Programme Coordinator