Zero tolerance to cyber-violence. Polish Justice Ministry wants to amend the penal code to criminalize cyber violence in all forms, including Internet publishing of intimidating images and disgraceful videos made without the consent of the actors.

Joanna Najfeld reports

Justice Ministry proclaims war on cyber violence. New regulations are supposed to improve the protection of privacy. Cyber violence has many faces, says internet expert Miłosz Lodowski of IceAge Design company: 'Oppression, intimidation, threatening by means of methods connected with new technologies - multimedia messaging, websites, e-mails, discussion lists. In my humble opinion, this should be penalized as a regular offence.'

According to the project prepared by the Justice Ministry, youngsters who videotape a girl changing her clothes in a school cloak room and publish the file on the Internet could be prosecuted on the basis of the law against cyber violence, at the victim's request. If they are underage, they would be tried before a juvenile court.

The project also provides for easier prosecution of pedophiles who use the Web to make appointments with their victims, explains Zbigniew Wrona, undersecretary of state at the Justice Ministry: 'If somebody uses the Web to make contact with the victim, takes steps to arrange a meeting in the real world, and attempts a crime, that would be a separate type of crime, punishable by five years of prison.'

Publishing materials with an intent to disgrace someone is a growing problem among Polish school kids. Psychologist Wojciech Eichelberg says modern popculture has developed a fashion for exposing one's intimacy: 'TV shows such as "Big Brother" or the behavior of some of our celebrities, who expose their private life without any inhibition create an impression that this is a way to become recognized, not to say famous.'

At the same time, the media propagate patterns of violence, adds the psychologist: 'I am always worried when parents hipocritically show concern over children, without noticing what they themselves are doing. Look at what's happening in our social and media life - there is a lot of violence around us. Tabloids propagate a kind of media violence on people who have to hide from the media to defend their privacy, and suddenly some pictures are published and everyone is taking about them. Adults have to take responsibility for the fact that children mimic them.'

A child who falls prey to cyber violence feels devastated says child psychologist Małgorzata Ohme: 'It's as if their whole world has fallen down, as if it suddenly turned out that they are nobody, that they are ridiculous, stupid, silly... Really, if there is no wise adult person around - a teacher, a caretaker, preferably a parent to help the child look at it from the distance - if there is no such person to help the child in such a situation, the consequences might be such that under strong emotions children can even take their own life.'

Experts agree some action should be taken to shield especially children from cyber-violence.

The question remains, however, is the Polish police properly trained and equipped to successfully track down cyber criminals. Another issue is - is their presence welcome on the Web? What will be the reaction of the Internet community to what they might see as attempts to regulate or censor the Web? Many don't like the government butting into every aspect of the citizens' life. Internet users or hackers can backfire at authorities trying to control the activity of the Web too much, warns Miłosz Lodowski: 'Americans have got specific systems to search for keywords connected with terrorism. Some Internet communities and groups make lists of keywords in their e-mails to break the machines searching for the kewords in our e-mails, so every method has got something like a mirror side of it.'

Internet expert Miłosz Lodowski is skeptical about the new regulations against cyber-violence. In his opinion, they may be an idea just for show, considering the inefficiency of Polish law enforcement system in general.

'We've got problems at civilians with access to the courts and law enforcement, that's a real problem. New rules dedicated only to cyber crimes are rather a showy activity, not an effective and necessary one,' said Miłosz Lodowski.

The project of amendments to the penal law concerning cyber-violence will now be debated in the Parliament.