Authors: Lazarino Pjetri and Sali Doçi
When social media fame can be as fleeting as it is dangerous, exploiting children for online popularity reveals a darker side. Children are used for financial gain, become victims of online bullying and are exposed to predators. Albania still lacks adequate legal protection, and poor instruments to prevent the phenomenon.
Famous children
Noel Hoxha, a student with excellent grades, from Shkodra, started engaging in social networks at the age of 11. With the support of his family, he has further developed his dream of becoming famous, making videos as an impersonator of journalists and well-known television actors.
"Initially, I started by imitating journalists and well-known television actors", says Noeli.
Today, he is, not only one an influencer active in social networks, but also a co-moderator in a show for children on a local television in Shkodër. Noeli is also involved in the marketing of products and various stores.
Although fame is not easy to gain and maintain, Noeli says it also has its beautiful sides, such as recognition from people on the street and photo requests.
What about the dark side?
"Negative comments, especially from fake accounts or from parents of other kids my age."
But despite this, Noel says that he always maintains a positive attitude, not devoting too much time and attention to himself.
To manage these situations, Noeli says he doesn't read negative comments. His mother manages his social networks and is the one who deletes or responds to comments when "the situation gets out of control".
The most extreme case, which turned into "stalking", was a profile of a lady, who was a mother herself, who often insulted or bullied him about his talent and abilities, in every video or post.
Meanwhile, Noel's plans are bigger: "My plan is to reach higher than that and one day be part of big, national televisions."
"Fame", which "kills" children
Not every story with children on social networks is a "field of flowers".
Police in Saranda, on February 21, arrested Natasha Rombula, 67, and her son, Armando Kumarak, 44, after both posted on TikTok video, which featured a minor boy, 10 years old, using derogatory and banal words.
The minor, the son of Armando Kumarak, was used by his father and grandmother for monetary benefits.
They were reported to the police by the minor's mother.
This is not an isolated case; dozens of cases have been identified by security structures. Use of children as influencers or even their misuse in social networks is a phenomenon not unheard of in Albania. Minors are vulnerable to cyberbullying and blackmail Internet. Albania has no legal framework for their protection on social platforms.
According to Altin Hazizaj, head of the non-governmental organization Center for the Protection of Children's Rights in Albania (CRCA), child safety in Internet is a growing concern.
According to official data from isigurt.al, the two main problems are the danger from sexual predators and pedophiles online, as well as bullying.
According to Hazizaj, parents are not aware of their children's figure online, nor the relevant authorities.
"From January 2024 to June, over 300 cases have been reported, most of which are teenagers, where only Albania and France at the global level are more at risk," says the head of the CRCA.
Poor communication between parents and children makes the child afraid to share his concerns.
"For their safety, the first step is to check how long the child stays in Internet; the child should be taught that, if someone asks for personal data, he should not give it", - emphasizes Hazizaj.
A study conducted by UNICEF and IPSOS in Albania in 2019, which examined the experiences of 1,000 children aged 9-17 and their parents, highlights that minors spend an average of 2.9 hours in Internet every day during the week and 3.3 hours on weekend days.
Of the 1,000 children surveyed, only 14% reported having bad experiences in Internet. 1 in 10 children said they have faced bullying online.
Young people in their responses to UNICEF indicated that they do not discuss with their parents the concerns they have when using social networks.
According to the data of this study, 6.4% of children reported that they had been mistreated, bullied or repeatedly made fun of by someone during the last twelve months (8%, boys; 5%, girls). However, of those who reported being bullied, children were more likely to be bullied physically (61.7%) than through a digital device (47.9%). However, in a previous study, it appears that 19.4% of children in the age group of 10-18 years were the subject of bullying in 2017, which indicates differences in the way the question was understood by the children.
According to UNICEF, cyberbullying is a form of bullying through iNTERNET. It can happen on social networks, in games online and with different communication programs on phones smart. These actions are done and repeated with the aim of intimidating, angering or shaming the "victims". Some cases include spreading lies or false facts about an individual in order to intimidate them, posting photos and videos taken from the "victim's" profile in order to blackmail them, and sending fake profile messages, images or videos , pretending to be a certain individual.
To prevent cyberbullying, UNICEF suggests that parents monitor their children's activity on Internet, teach children how to identify and how to act on specific cases and limit the time they spend on devices smart.
Unintentional harm to the child
Another concern is raised by the pediatrician, Lira Gjika, regarding the parent-child relationship, which is complex and often problematic in our society. The problem is that many parents see children as their property, not respecting them as individuals with unique rights and needs. This approach can lead to abuses, especially in the cases of children who are made an influencer on social media, she says. Excessive exposure to technology from a young age is causing mental health problems in children.
Doctor Lira Gjika emphasizes the importance of education and creativity in children.
"Man paints emotions, fantasy is unique to each person and parents should work with the child's fantasy and encourage it," she says.
To improve the situation, Gjika suggests reforms in education and a greater awareness of parents about the rights and needs of their children, since children's mental health should be a priority from an early age, when the brain begins to form and develops.
"Bullying children is not only cursing them, but also praising them. This form of bullying, known as "positive bullying", can be just as harmful as the traditional form of bullying. Parents are often not able to properly take care of their children, exposing them to phones from a very young age, in order to keep them calm," says pediatrician Lira Gjika.
Anisa Metalla, an expert on child protection, says that fake images are also very disturbing.
She adds that this risk may increase in the future as a result of technological developments and artificial intelligence.
Another initiative was undertaken by UNDP and UNFPA in Albania, who organized and developed from May 2023 to April 2024 an awareness campaign on social networks against the use of hate speech, with the slogan: The word kills! Think/Weigh well.
The campaign focused mainly on young people aged 18-29, using platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The aim was to address the use of hate speech against different groups of young people, who experience discrimination for various reasons, including ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and beyond.
The campaign is part of a regional UN initiative called "Youth for Inclusion, Equality and Confidence", funded by the United Nations Peace Fund. The goal is to build an inclusive future, without fake news, with gender equality and without mistrust. The project started in 2022 and is expected to continue until the end of 2026, promoting positive narratives and stories of cooperation among young people in the region.
Crimes online towards minors, Police: There is no specific law
The only article of the Criminal Code, which protects children from the publication of inappropriate content for them in Internet, is article 117:
"Producing, distributing, advertising, importing, selling and publishing pornographic materials in environments where there are children, constitutes a criminal offense and is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years; producing, importing, providing, distributing, using or possessing child pornography is punishable by imprisonment from three to ten years; while recruiting, coercing or using a child to participate in pornographic performances is punishable by imprisonment from five to ten years".
According to the General Directorate of the State Police, blackmail and bullying do not exist as criminal offenses in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania, but, according to the Cyber Crimes Department of the State Police, a dedicated structure has been created since June 2023 for the investigation of cybercrimes, including child pornography.
This structure, according to information provided by the State Police office, monitors social networks and cooperates with platforms to delete bullying or pornographic content.
While the information of the General Prosecutor's Office shows that they do not have statistical registers, divided by categories: blackmail, bullying or threats, but only cases related to the criminal offense "Pornography" of minors, which results in the neglect of other, specific cases .
| Pornografia | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||
| No. Proc. reg. | No. proc. in court | No. pand. curry | No. etc. in court. | No. Proc. curry | No. proc. in court | No. pand. curry | No. etc. in court. | No. Proc. curry | No. proc. in court | No. pand. curry | No. etc. in court. | |
| 117/1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 117/2 | 52 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 117/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 67 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Statistics for the last 3 years regarding the criminal offense "Pornography" of minors
The number of criminal proceedings for the offense "Pornography" against minors (see table) has fluctuated during the years 2021-2023 in Albania.
In 2021, 67 proceedings were registered, of which only 3 were sent to court with 5 defendants. A year later, the number of proceedings decreased to 34, with only 2 proceedings sent to court and with only 1 defendant. Meanwhile, in 2023 the number of proceedings increased again to 51, with 2 proceedings sent to court and 1 defendant.
Figures show that the problem of pornography online towards minors continues to be present, although with fluctuations in the number of proceedings and defendants sent to court during this period.
Technological progress has brought with it new risks for children Internet.
"It is important that parents and society are aware of these risks and create safe and supportive environments for children", says Sabina Çarçani, the manager of the Program for the Protection of Children and the Governance of Children's Rights at the foundation. Save the Children, Albania.
Charcani emphasizes education and informing children, teenagers and parents to prevent dangerous situations and protect their privacy in Internet.
"Parents should be careful and reflect on their behavior in Internet, especially when it affects the child. For example, the tendency to "share" everything, that is, the transmission of private details (images, videos, information) about a child through digital channels by an adult, parent or relative of the child, should be reviewed.
Sabina Çarçani expresses concern about the increase in cases of blackmail online to children. She mentions that, "children and teenagers are in a period of growth, development, which includes sexual development. This whole process brings important changes to the child/adolescent in physiological, biological, emotional and mental aspects".
"It is time for a broader and more responsible cry from society and from the structures involved in protecting children and adolescents from environmental risks online", says Charçani.
In a world where technology advances rapidly, the safety and well-being of children in Internet it should be a priority for society and for the authorities. While parents and institutions play a key role in protecting them, the creation of a stronger legal framework and greater awareness of the dangers of blackmail and cyberbullying are essential.
This article is part of the Investigative Journalism Laboratory project, which is financially supported by the Public Relations Office of the US Embassy in Tirana. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of State.
