"Alarm signal"

WHO: One in six children are victims of cyberbullying

Around one in six children aged eleven to 15 will have been bullied online in 2022. This is according to a study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Copenhagen on Wednesday. "This report is an alarm signal that requires us to take action against violence when and where it occurs," emphasized the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge.

According to the study results, the proportion of physical assaults remained almost stable at eleven percent, compared to ten percent four years earlier. However, virtual forms of violence among peers have increased significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the new study, 15 percent of boys and 16 percent of girls stated that they had been harassed online at least once in the past few months.

"As young people spend up to six hours a day online, even small changes in bullying rates can have a profound impact on the health and well-being of thousands of people," emphasized Kluge. 

The study is based on statements from almost 280,000 children and young people in 44 countries in Europe, Central Asia and Canada. The highest rates of cyberbullying were recorded among boys in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland and Moldova, and the lowest rates among boys in Spain.

One in eight young people admitted to having bullied others themselves. In almost all countries, 11-year-old boys and 13-year-old girls were the most affected. According to the study, the wealth of the parents had little or no influence. Only in Canada were girls from poorer families significantly more frequently affected by cyberbullying than girls from richer families.

Consequences still noticeable years later
"It is necessary to better investigate the various forms of violence among peers," the report states. Young people, as well as families and schools, need to be better educated about cyberbullying and its effects. Online services should also be better regulated in order to limit the risk of this phenomenon.

According to the study, some victims of bullying suffer from headaches, stomach aches, anxiety and depression. Many of those affected still feel the consequences years later.