Around 16 out of every 100 children between the ages of 11 and 15 were cyberbullied in 2022, up from 13 out of every 100 four years ago, according to a report from WHO Europe that covers 44 countries.
Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said the report should make everyone realize the need to address bullying and violence whenever it occurs.
The study called “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” found that 15% of boys and 16% of girls had experienced cyberbullying in recent months.
The way adolescents behave towards each other has been changed by the pandemic, according to the UN agency.
The report pointed out that virtual forms of peer violence have become more important since the Covid-19 pandemic began, as young people's lives became more virtual during lockdown periods.
While other forms of bullying have mostly stayed the same with a small increase.
In the past couple of months, 11% of boys and girls reported being bullied at school two or three times a month, compared to 10% four years ago.
– Six hours of screen time –
Boys in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova, and Poland experienced the highest levels of cyberbullying, while the lowest levels were reported in Spain, according to WHO, which did not provide detailed data.
According to Kluge, even small changes in bullying rates can have important effects on the health and well-being of many, considering that young people spend up to six hours online every day.
The report stated that one out of eight adolescents confessed to cyberbullying others, an increase of three percentage points from 2018.
The number of adolescents engaging in physical fighting remained steady over the four-year period at 10% – 14% for boys and 6% for girls.
The study used data from 279,000 children and adolescents from 44 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.
In most places, cyberbullying peaked when boys were 11 years old and girls were 13.
The report found that parents' socioeconomic status did not have much impact on children's behavior.
Canada was a different story, where less advantaged youths were more likely to experience bullying.
In Canada, 27% of girls from the least affluent families reported being bullied at school, while 21% of girls from the most affluent families said the same.
The report called for greater efforts to raise awareness, noting that the problem is widespread.
The report highlighted the need for more investment in monitoring different forms of peer violence.
The report also emphasized the urgent need to educate young people, families, and schools about cyberbullying and its effects, while also regulating social media platforms to reduce exposure to cyberbullying.
AFP
