The annual student survey revealed that 2% in 2019 were victims of cyberbullying, which occurs when a person is subjected to repeated negative incidents over time on the internet or via mobile devices (Wendelborg, 2020). Single negative incidents occur even more frequently, and a larger number of young people have experienced this. Cyberbullying and negative online incidents can range from passive actions like ignoring or excluding someone from closed groups or events to more active behaviors with the intent to harm or threaten someone online.

Consequences of Cyberbullying: The consequences of being subjected to negative online incidents and cyberbullying are severe. A meta-analysis found that both traditional bullying and online bullying are associated with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and overall poorer health (Moore et al., 2017). Furthermore, there is a link between bullying and psychosomatic health problems such as stomach pains, sleep problems, and headaches, as well as social functioning, including social isolation, loneliness, and low self-esteem.

This video is part of a European campaign against cyberbullying:

#DeleteCyberbullying is funded by the EU Daphne program, COFACE Families Europe, and its partners, with the goal of raising awareness about cyberbullying and what can be done to prevent and address it.