Viktiga slutsatser
- Reports of cyberbullying has risen in recent years as children and teenagers have more access and time spent on social media
- There are steps that schools and organisations can take to reduce cyberbullying and to give students the agency and ability to report cyberbullying confidentially
- A school’s culture and environment have a direct impact on bullying and holistic mental wellness
Cyberbullying has been prevalent for young people and schools over the last 20 years. An increase in screen-time and overall use of tech and internet has caused an increase in incidents of cyberbullying and harassment too. What does this look like for students?
Currently, it looks like:
- 71% of children between 5-15 have seen hateful content online
- 27% of children between 8-15 who use some form of social media have experienced cyberbullying
- 74% of parents and guardians identified classmates as the main cyberbullies of children they knew/cared for.
These statistics and the reality of cyberbullying in UK schools and children looks bleak – so we’ve developed some actionable steps and advice for schools and organisations, to protect and educate their students and children about cyberbullying.
Spot it, Stop it, and Support Your Students
What are the impacts of cyberbullying on students?
- One in five children has skipped school due to cyberbullying
- Children and young people (under 25) who are, or have been, victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to engage in self-harming behaviour and experience suicidal ideation
- 72% of children who had experienced online bullying had experienced at least some of it at school or during school hours
Being able to see these concerning behaviours and symptoms is crucial if safeguarding teams are to be enabled to stage timely interventions and keep children and students healthy and safe. Often children and young people will write about their thoughts and feelings – in online journals or online searches – as opposed to paper or even confiding verbally. But, when these searches and airing of thoughts all happen digitally, it can be hard for the adults responsible for keeping them safe to see what the problem is and what actions need to be taken to resolve it.
Solutions like Ljushastighetsvarning can give schools and safeguarding teams the support and empowerment to know that concerning behaviours and searches will be monitored and triaged by our 24/7 team of experts in law enforcement, psychology, and safeguarding. This lifeline will send warnings and assistance to your safeguarding team, and local law enforcement, if necessary, when a child or young person is showing signs of concerning or escalating behaviour or mental and emotional distress.
Where are students experiencing this behaviour?
- Children predominantly experience cyberbullying on social media sites and webpages where comments and messages can be exchanged – Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube.
- Videogames are a hot spot for cyberbullying behaviours – 9 in 10 people experience cyberbullying and hate in online gaming.
- Only a small percentage of people experience bullying that is solely cyberbullying – it generally coincides with in-person bullying too.
Limiting children and students’ access to these sites and platforms can help reduce the likelihood of participating or experiencing this kind of bullying and abuse. Ljushastighetsfilter allows schools and organisations to block these sites and domains, meaning children can’t access them through school devices or school networks. The solution can provide bespoke and curated safeguarding that will allow schools and organisations to filter and block all platforms and sites that are popular or regularly used by their pupils.
Do students and children report this to trusted adults?
Short answer – no. Not really.
- Only 11% of teenagers have discussed cyberbullying incidents with their parents, or a teacher
- 29% of teenagers do nothing when they experience cyberbullying
- 66% of children between the ages of 10-15 say they did not report cyberbullying because they didn’t think it was important
Children and teenagers often don’t feel comfortable talking to the adults in their lives about any bullying or abuse they’re suffering at the hands of their peers. This could be for a multitude of reasons – fear of adults minimising the behaviour or their distress, fear of not being believed, fear of retaliation or escalation if the bully finds out it’s been reported.
Schools and organisations should be endeavouring to create and foster environments where students feel safe making these reports and talking to the adults responsible for their care at school. This will also involve making a learning environment that doesn’t tolerate or permit bullying and abusive behaviour, and that is creating a space that encourages and teaches holistic mental wellness. But that can be a slow process.
There are immediate and sometimes dangerous ramifications of leaving situations like this for too long – students need support and tools to feel safe in school nu.
Lightspeed’s recent development with Stoppa det has provided our suite with a new safety measure and tool for students. StopIt is a mobile device app that allows students to anonymously and confidentially report all incidents surrounding bullying, abuse, mental distress, or concerning behaviour from others to informed and well-trained specialists. This point of contact will enable children and teenagers to have the agency and ability to make these reports and comments, without the anxiety and fear of repercussions from their bullies and abusers.
Let’s take action – Together
Too many children are suffering in silence, and the cost of inaction is far too high. Schools and organisations have a duty not only to educate, but to protect — by creating environments where bullying isn’t tolerated, and where students feel safe speaking up when something isn’t right.
Building that culture takes time, but there are powerful steps you can take right now! With the right tools in place, schools can monitor for warning signs, block harmful platforms, and empower students to report concerns safely and anonymously.
At Lightspeed, we’re here to support you taking the next steps towards a safer, bullying-free, school. If you’d like to know more, and book a demo with a member of our team, click här to get in touch.
