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EUROPE – Whether physical or psychological, bullying and other forms of peer violence among young people are nothing new. In fact, the general trends are stable.

But a study of 44 countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America shows an increase in cyberbullying since 2018.

The study “Health Behavior in School-Age Children” (HBSC) published at the end of March (27.03.2024) by WHO/Europe (World Health Organization) identifies the “increasing digitalization of youth interactions” as the main cause of cyberbullying .

In a statement to media the same day, WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said the report was “a wake-up call”. “With young people spending up to six hours online every day, even small changes in the level of bullying and violence can have profound implications for the health and well-being of thousands of people,” Kluge said, highlighting the potential consequences self-harm and suicide.

Key findings of the study

The researchers asked the study participants – teenagers aged 11, 13 and 15 – to report on their behavior and experiences with bullying. On average, more boys than girls admitted to perpetrating violence against peers at least 2-3 times a month during the “last two months” (before the time of the survey).

And the “overall prevalence of cyberbullying” was highest at age 13 and “significantly higher” among boys of all ages, the study authors wrote.

They noted that among the boys surveyed, 15-year-olds in Lithuania reported the highest propensity for cyberbullying others. Among girls, 13-year-olds in Romania were more likely to engage in such behavior.

On the other hand, about one in 10 boys and girls reported being bullied at school at least two or three times a month in the past two months.

“Overall, 15% of teens said they had been cyberbullied at least once or twice in the past two months (15% of boys and 16% of girls),” the study authors wrote.

One in 10 teenagers reported being involved in a physical fight at least three times in the past 12 months (14% of boys and 6% of girls).

Cyberbullying: A gender issue?

The researchers said they reported that boys showed a higher tendency towards aggression and engaging in physical fights than girls.

Both boys and girls show a similar prevalence for cyberbullying. But researchers find that cyberbullying is on the rise among girls aged 11 and 13.

How does the study define cyberbullying?

In the survey, researchers asked young people if they had sent (or participated in the sending of) “instant messages, wall posts or e-mails, or posting or sharing photos, or videos online without permission.”

The authors said that while bullying had “traditionally” been in-person between peers, “virtual forms of peer violence have become particularly important since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world of young people has become increasingly virtual during of isolation.”

Reducing cyberbullying

The researchers say they hope their findings will improve understanding of adolescent bullying and peer violence across Europe, Central Asia and Canada and enable experts to “target interventions more efficiently”.

This would include “gender-sensitive strategies” to address and reduce the problem of bullying and programs to promote digital literacy, empathy and healthy conflict resolution.

In an email to DW, HBSC’s Joseph Hancock wrote: “Success requires continued collaboration among all stakeholders. We call on individuals, families, schools, communities and governments to work hand in hand to ensure that all adolescents have safe and supportive environments in which to develop.”