Global study finds one in six teenagers have experienced cyberbullying

An international study has found that nearly one in six teenagers has experienced cyberbullying.

More school-age children are reporting cyberbullying than before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe.

A study examining bullying among teenagers in 44 countries and regions, including England, Wales and Scotland, found that 15% of teenagers said they had been cyberbullied at least once or twice in the past few months.

The Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey of more than 279,000 11, 13 and 15-year-olds in 2021/22 showed that the proportion of teenagers reporting being bullied online has increased since 2018, from 12% It increases to 15% for boys and 13% to 16% for girls.

On average, across all participating countries in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, around one in eight (12%) teenagers report being cyberbullied at least once or twice in the past few months.

In England, where more than 4,200 young people were surveyed, almost a fifth (19%) said they had been cyberbullied at least once or twice in the past few months, with 11% saying they had been cyberbullied.

In Scotland, more than 4,300 young people were surveyed, with 18% saying they had been cyberbullied and 11% reporting they had been cyberbullied.

Meanwhile, in Wales, where almost 37,000 young people were surveyed, 17% said they had been bullied online and 9% reported being bullied online.

There is an “urgent need” to educate young people, families and schools about the forms and impacts of cyberbullying, which is now “the leading form of peer violence” among young people, the report said.

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: “The perpetration and experience of cyberbullying appears to have increased as young people’s social activities have shifted to online environments during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

“Concerning virtual types of peer violence is now a priority to safeguard the health and well-being of young people, and cyberbullying must be recognized as a major issue in society.”

He added: “Young people spend up to six hours a day online and even small changes in rates of bullying and violence can have a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of thousands of people.

“From self-harm to suicide, we’ve seen how all forms of cyberbullying can devastate the lives of young people and their families.

“This is both a health issue and a human rights issue and we must step up our efforts to protect our children from violence and harm, both offline and online.”

Dr Joanna Inchley, international coordinator of research at HBSC, said: “While the digital world offers incredible opportunities to learn and connect, it also exacerbates challenges such as cyberbullying.

“This requires a comprehensive strategy to protect the mental and emotional health of our young people.

“It is vital that governments, schools and families work together to tackle online risks and ensure young people have a safe and supportive environment to grow up in.”

Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser at NAHT, the school leaders’ union, said: “These figures showing an increase in cyberbullying among children are really worrying and while schools work hard to help keep pupils safe, cyberbullying can Happens anywhere, at any time.”

“Schools alone cannot solve this problem, the government must ensure that the Cybersecurity Law is quickly implemented and properly enforced, and social media platforms must do more to provide a safe online environment.

“This must include better monitoring, strict age verification, clear ways of reporting issues and a more transparent code of conduct that spells out the impact of abuse.”

A government spokesman said: “The Online Safety Bill will make the UK the safest place in the world for children to go online, requiring companies to take strong action to protect children from harmful content, illegal activity and abuse, including ensuring Children are protected from harmful content, illegal activity and abuse.” Bullying.

“Companies that fail to comply with the new rules could face fines of up to 10% of their global annual revenue, which could amount to billions of pounds.”