One in six adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, global study finds

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Nearly one in six adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, a global study has discovered.

More school-aged youngsters have reported being cyberbullied in comparison with earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic, in accordance with a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe.

A study, which checked out bullying amongst adolescents from 44 nations and areas, together with England, Wales and Scotland, discovered 15% reported being cyberbullied at the very least a few times in the previous couple of months.

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, of greater than 279,000 individuals aged 11, 13 and 15 years previous in 2021/22, suggests the proportion of adolescents who reported being cyberbullied has elevated since 2018, from 12% to fifteen% for boys and 13% to 16% for ladies.

On common, throughout all of the collaborating nations and areas in Europe, central Asia and Canada, round one in eight (12%) adolescents reported cyberbullying others at the very least a few times in the previous couple of months.

In England, the place greater than 4,200 younger individuals have been surveyed, practically one in 5 (19%) reported being cyberbullied at the very least a few times in the previous couple of months, and 11% reported cyberbullying others.

In Scotland, the place greater than 4,300 younger individuals have been surveyed, 18% mentioned they’d experienced cyberbullying and 11% reported cyberbullying others.

Meanwhile, in Wales, the place practically 37,000 younger individuals have been surveyed, 17% reported experiencing cyberbullying and 9% reported cyberbullying others.

The report mentioned there was an “urgent need” to teach younger individuals, households and colleges of the types of cyberbullying and its implications as it’s now a “dominant form of peer violence” amongst younger individuals.

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, mentioned: “As young people’s social engagement switched to the online environment during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, so it appears that perpetration and experience of cyberbullying increased.

“Focusing on virtual types of peer violence is now an urgent priority to safeguard the health and wellbeing of populations of adolescents and young people, and cyberbullying must be viewed as a major issue for societies.”

He added: “With young people spending up to six hours online every single day, even small changes in the rates of bullying and violence can have profound implications for the health and wellbeing of thousands.

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

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

Dr Joanna Inchley, worldwide coordinator of the HBSC study, mentioned: “The digital world, while offering incredible opportunities for learning and connecting, also amplifies challenges like cyberbullying.

“This calls for comprehensive strategies to protect our young people’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

“It’s crucial for governments, schools, and families to collaborate on addressing online risks, ensuring adolescents have safe and supportive environments to thrive.”

Sarah Hannafin, senior coverage adviser for college leaders’ union NAHT, mentioned: “These figures showing an increase in cyberbullying among children are a real concern, and while schools work hard to help keep pupils safe, online bullying can take place anywhere, at any time.

“Schools alone cannot tackle the issue and the Government must ensure the Online Safety Act is implemented swiftly and properly enforced, while social media platforms must do much more to provide a safe online environment.

“This must include better monitoring, robust age verification, clear ways to report concerns and more transparent codes of conduct, setting out the implications of misuse.”

A Government spokesperson mentioned: “The Online Safety Act will make the UK the safest place in the world for children to be online, requiring companies to take robust action to protect children from harmful content, illegal activity, and abuse – including keeping children safe from bullying.

“Companies that do not comply with the new can face fines of up to 10% of their global annual revenue, potentially up to billions of pounds.”