One in six young teenagers a victim of cyberbullying, WHO warns

One in six children aged 11 to 15 was the victim of cyberbullying in 2022, a report published Wednesday by the World Health Organization has found. It warned the Covid pandemic had changed how teenagers treat each other.

The study, which spanned 44 countries, revealed that virtual forms of peer violence had become more prevalent during lockdowns. More school-aged children reported being cyberbullied compared to before the pandemic.

WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said the findings served as a crucial alert, with the rate of cyberbullying among young teenagers rising by 13 percent from four years ago.

“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,” Kluge said.

Data from 279,000 children and adolescents across Europe, Central Asia, and Canada formed the basis of the study.

'Wake-up-call'

Cyberbullying peaked around the age of 11 for boys and 13 for girls. One in eight adolescents admitted to cyberbullying others.

The report highlighted Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova, and Poland as countries with the highest levels of cyberbullying among boys, whereas Spain reported the lowest levels.

With adolescents spending up to six hours online daily, even slight fluctuations in bullying rates can greatly impact their well-being, Kluge said.

He called the report a “wake-up call” for “all of us to address bullying and violence, whenever and wherever it happens”.

The report stressed the need for increased monitoring of peer violence and called for better education among young people, families and schools regarding cyberbullying and its impacts.

It also urged regulatory measures on social media platforms to stem exposure to cyberbullying.

(with newswires)