Erin Molan calls for schoolkid trolls to be sent to juvenile detention and threatened with JAIL during passionate rant about cyber bullying

  • Erin Molan said the way people deal with trolls on social media needs to change 
  • She said trolls must be accountable for their actions and face being punished
  • Molan said government must force social media companies to stop harassment

By Jackson Barron For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Erin Molan has made a passionate plea to change the way people deal with online trolls and bullying on social media.

The TV presenter fired up in an appearance on Weekend Today on Sunday morning after she came out in support of Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold amid his trolling saga on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old said we must change our attitude in combating bullying and start holding trolls accountable for their actions.

Erin Molan (pictured with partner Sean Oglivy at Rosehill Gardens in March 2016) said the way people deal with trolls on social media needs to change

Erin Molan (pictured with partner Sean Oglivy at Rosehill Gardens in March 2016) said the way people deal with trolls on social media needs to change

'I've been lobbying the government for probably over a year now on this topic,' Molan said. 

'This is about other people. This is about young people, this is about every Australian having the right to feel safe online.

'I just think there's real issues at the moment with what we are doing with this. I think the entire focus of campaigns at the moment, and when people go into schools, is on coping mechanisms for the victim.'

Molan has previously said she has copped horrific messages from trolls in her career including death threats to her young daughter.

She believes trolling needs to have real consequences for the perpetrators.

'It's not effective, telling trolls that people are hurt by this,' she said. 'It's not effective showing the dire consequences; and let me tell you, there are dire consequences. People take their lives, strong people take their lives, because of bullying online. 

'We no longer have the luxury of just saying, "Get offline". It doesn't work. Society is now online, whether you like it or not. People need to be held accountable.

'We go into schools and it's wonderful, it's lovely and we say to young kids, "If you are being bullied, you go tell a teacher or you just ignore it, you block them. You report them, don't let it get to you, build your resilience".

'No - we should be going into schools and telling every little kid, "If you bully online, if you write something online that isn't true that hurts someone, if you threaten someone's life online, if you use hate speech online, you'll be getting offline, you'll be going to juvenile detention, your prospects of getting a job later on will be almost zilch, you may not be able to travel overseas and once you turn 18, if you keep doing it, you'll be going to jail". That's what will work.'

Molan said trolls must be held accountable for their actions and face being punished

Molan said trolls must be held accountable for their actions and face being punished

Molan said the government must force social media companies to implement changes to stop harassment

Molan said the government must force social media companies to implement changes to stop harassment

Molan was one of Australia's first female sports presenters having started her career as a host on Channel 9's Sunday Footy Show in 2012. 

She said the government must make it a priority to get involved to force social media companies to implement a lasting change and stop online bullying.  

'I've had meetings with the communications minister, Paul Fletcher, really good meetings, really healthy meetings. I genuinely have faith in the government to do something about this,' Molan said.

'Every person that's online, including politicians, have been the victim to this kind of thing. Everyone knows it's a huge issue, it's about making it happen; not just continually pushing it aside because there's "more important" things to do.

'This is very, very important to do. Yes, it's complex, it will take time, but it's got to be a priority because people are losing their life over this kind of stuff.' 

MOLAN'S SPEECH TRANSCRIPT:

I've been lobbying the government for probably over a year now on this topic.

First of all, this isn't about me. I've been the victim of some of the most horrific trolling and abuse online for the better part of a decade. I am essentially immune to it. I see it for what it is.

This is about other people. This is about young people, this is about every Australian having the right to feel safe online.

I just think there's real issues at the moment with what we are doing with this. I think the entire focus of campaigns at the moment, and when people go into schools, is on coping mechanisms for the victim.

That is ridiculous. That doesn't work. We've got to look at the punishments for the perpetrators and I think that's where we need to change tack.

It's not effective, telling trolls that people are hurt by this. It's not effective showing the dire consequences; and let me tell you, there are dire consequences. People take their lives, strong people take their lives, because of bullying online.

Anthony Seibold is not on social media, he's still a victim of this. This impacts every single person in this country.

We no longer have the luxury of just saying, "Get offline". It doesn't work. Society is now online, whether you like it or not. People need to be held accountable.

We go into schools and it's wonderful, it's lovely and we say to young kids, "If you are being bullied, you go tell a teacher or you just ignore it, you block them. You report them, don't let it get to you, build your resilience".

No - we should be going into schools and telling every little kid, "If you bully online, if you write something online that isn't true that hurts someone, if you threaten someone's life online, if you use hate speech online, you'll be getting offline, you'll be going to juvenile detention, your prospects of getting a job later on will be almost zilch, you may not be able to travel overseas and once you turn 18, if you keep doing it, you'll be going to jail". That's what will work.

It's incredibly hard and this is why you need social media companies to come on board with this.

But the first thing you need is a government to come on board with this. I've had meetings with the communications minister, Paul Fletcher, really good meetings, really healthy meetings. I genuinely have faith in the government to do something about this. 

Every person that's online, including politicians, have been the victim to this kind of thing. Everyone knows it's a huge issue, it's about making it happen; not just continually pushing it aside because there's "more important" things to do.

This is very, very important to do. Yes, it's complex, it will take time, but it's got to be a priority because people are losing their life over this kind of stuff.

It's got to be a priority. We've got to create the legislation first, we've got to change the laws.

And you know what, if Instagram and Facebook and Twitter don't want to get on board with our laws in this country, then they can go away. They won't be able to run in this country and I tell you what, they generate a lot of money through advertising in this country on these platforms.

So if the government gets tough, the social media companies - I promise you - will get on board.

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Erin Molan says trolls should face JAIL in anti-bullying rant

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