While the digital world opens wide doors for learning and participation, it can also become a dangerous arena, especially for girls who lack reliable sources of information.

In this online space, they find themselves confronted with inaccurate and unsubstantiated health information. Channels abound offering advice on sensitive topics like puberty and reproductive health, but without any medical or scientific basis. Some of these channels promote unreliable advice, such as potentially harmful natural remedies or myths unrelated to scientific fact, exposing girls to physical and psychological risks.

In addition, online accounts are spreading that exploit girls’ ignorance and lure them by presenting “perfect beauty” content that is far from reality, leading to the consolidation of concepts of inadequacy and feelings of inferiority.

These accounts not only promote unrealistic beauty standards, but may also publish photos and videos intended to lure girls into a spiral of harmful comparisons.

Moreover, the internet not only provides harmful content, but also becomes a fertilized ground for digital violence.

The “UN Women – Violence Against Women in Online Spaces” report shows that girls aged 12–18 are more exposed than boys to unwanted sexual content on social media platforms.

Studies show that girls are three times more likely than boys to experience this type of digital violence. This clearly reflects the significant gender disparities in digital experiences and the resulting impact on girls’ lives.

In this context, digital violence intersects with the realities of education at home and at school:

Often, families remain silent on health and puberty topics, and schools fail to provide adequate education. This lack of knowledge drives girls to seek answers online, but without proper supervision or guidance, making them vulnerable to misleading content.

In one of the closed girls’ groups on Facebook in Syria, a girl wrote a question that illustrates the extent of the negative impact of misleading content:

“Girls… Is it true that during my period I have to drink vinegar and bind my stomach? That’s what I read on a medical page, what do you think, girls?”

This simple testimony reveals a tragic reality:

Misleading online content not only causes psychological harm, but can also lead to serious physical damage, highlighting the importance of providing reliable and safe health information to girls early in their lives.

Between family, school, and the law: Who is responsible?

Family:

In many Syrian families, talking about the body and puberty is considered taboo, often avoided under the guise of “modesty” or “impropriety.” Consequently, girls grow up in an educational environment where knowledge about their bodies is viewed as inappropriate or forbidden, fostering feelings of fear and hesitation about asking or inquiring about any changes they experience.

In this context, UNICEF reports indicate that the concept of health education within Syria remains weak, and that many families do not receive organized support in providing health information and sexual education for girls, which exacerbates the knowledge gap among younger generations.

Thus, children and girls find themselves facing an inherited ignorance that is passed down from generation to generation, exacerbating the health awareness crisis in society.

School:

Schools, for their part, remain mired in old traditions, where serious talk about sex education is avoided.

Although there is an urgent need to introduce a comprehensive sex education curriculum that is appropriate for every age group, such curricula are absent or almost non-existent in many Syrian schools.

In the absence of reliable formal education, girls find themselves forced to seek answers to their health and physical problems from unreliable online sources or through friends and family, exposing them to misleading content and false information that can do more harm than good.

The Law:

Despite the clear increase in cases of digital violence against women and girls, this issue remains insufficiently understood within Syrian society.

Many families are unaware of the seriousness of this type of violence or its psychological and social consequences.

In the absence of legal awareness and adequate safeguards, parents are hesitant to report cases of online blackmail or harassment, resulting in many cases going unreported in court. Consequently, girls’ rights to digital privacy are often neglected, and victims are denied access to justice.

The Society:

Syrian society, like many societies, still suffers from the stigma attached to anyone who talks about issues of the body and sexual health.

Syrian society, like many societies, still suffers from the stigma attached to anyone who speaks about issues of the body and sexual health. This stigma makes a girl feel that the violence and exploitation she experiences is her own fault, and that talking about her body or feelings is shameful.

Ultimately, society bears a great responsibility for perpetuating these misconceptions, and must act collectively to change this perception and promote a sound understanding of these issues.

Towards a safe digital and knowledge environment: What needs to be done?

To build an environment that allows Syrian girls to grow up without fear and without exposure to digital violence or health and cognitive risks, it is necessary to work on several integrated levels including the family, school, community and the legal level.

The challenge is not limited to one aspect, but is a collective effort to build awareness, protection, and laws that protect girls in the real and digital worlds.

• Health education at home

The family is the cornerstone of knowledge and values transmission, but girls’ health and knowledge of their bodies are often neglected in some conservative environments.

Sexual health education is not meant to be inappropriate, but rather to provide simple and safe information about puberty, physical changes, and how to take care of oneself.

This knowledge not only contributes to raising awareness, but also gives the girl a culture of respecting her body and reduces her feelings of shame and embarrassment when she faces questions for the first time.

Digital privacy protection skills are also part of healthy education; a girl who knows her body and its history is less likely to be deceived online.

• Integrating health education curricula into schools

Schools are a vital space for building genuine health awareness, and therefore comprehensive health education curricula should be integrated into formal education.

In accordance with the guidelines of international organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and health education organizations,

The information provided should be gradual, scientific, and age-appropriate, covering physical health, mental health, and safe handling of digital information.

These curricula are not limited to theoretical explanations only, but should be presented as part of a comprehensive program that enables students to confront misinformation circulating on the Internet, and thus reduce their vulnerability to falling victim to deception or digital violence.

• Digital awareness campaigns

In the same digital space, girls need dedicated awareness campaigns that provide information in a safe and clear way, and teach them methods of self-protection online.

These campaigns can be conducted through social media platforms, educational videos, or closed groups that allow girls to ask questions without restrictions or social judgment.

According to United Nations reports, the level of digital violence against women and girls in the Arab world shows that one in five women has had to delete or disable their account after being attacked in cyberspace, which confirms the extent of the danger that girls face if there is not enough awareness.

• Training parents to intervene without stigma

Digital violence or online blackmail is often viewed as a “scandal” or simply the girl’s own misconduct, which only exacerbates the problem. Therefore, it is essential to train parents on how to handle such situations without stigmatizing or blaming the victim.

Parents should learn how to listen, how to deal with threats, and how to guide their daughters in protecting themselves through practical steps (such as hiding their private information, closing threatened accounts, and contacting the appropriate authorities). Prompt family support can prevent a girl from withdrawing or feeling ashamed, which can exacerbate the impact of online violence on her mental health.

• Laws that protect girls from digital exploitation

Society cannot achieve a safe environment unless there are strict laws protecting girls from privacy exploitation or online threats.

In many countries, laws do not provide sufficient protection against digital abuse and impunity;

A UN report has shown that less than 40% of countries have effective laws to prevent online harassment or stalking via digital networks, leaving billions of women vulnerable without adequate legal protection.

These laws should include:

• Stricter penalties for those who blackmail or threaten girls online.
• Confidential and secure reporting mechanisms that enable the victim to report without fear of social or digital retaliation.
• Regulating social media spaces so that platforms are obligated to protect their users’ data and take swift action against abusive accounts.

In conclusion 

Today, Syrian girls live between two different worlds:

A real world shrouded in silence, where discussions about body and health issues are avoided for fear of social repercussions, and a digital world overflowing with information, some true and some false, flowing unchecked.

In this dual space, ignorance becomes the primary enemy, while knowledge becomes a weapon and a force for survival and protection.

What is required today is not to fear girls on the internet, but to give them the knowledge that enables them to deal with this space with confidence and safety, to prepare them to escape the traps of digital violence, and to make them feel empowered through knowledge instead of fear.

Protecting girls begins with open conversation in homes, where they learn that the body is not a defect or a subject of stigma, but rather a part of their lives that deserves understanding and care.

This protection continues through schools that are committed to providing health education without shame, and in a society that recognizes that knowledge is not a burden or a defect, but a right, and is considered a tool for empowerment, not destruction.

In doing so, we contribute to creating a generation of Syrian girls who have the strength to face digital and health challenges with full awareness, enabling them to continue on their path with confidence and safety.