This is one of the findings of the World Health Organisation (WHO) study on healthy behaviours among young people in school published last year, 2025. The analysis, which includes data from 279,000 children and young people from 44 countries, reflects an increase from 12% to 15% of this phenomenon among boys and an increase from 13% to 16% among girls, compared to the organisation’s latest figures in 2018.
As we can see, cyberbullying is not only present in the reality of children and young people, but its trend is on the rise. But what exactly is cyberbullying? What behaviours can be considered as cyberbullying? What attitudes or behaviours in minors can reveal that they are being victims?
Peculiarities of ‘cyberbullying’
Let us bear in mind that cyberbullying combines attitudes of abuse against a person together with other peculiarities of digital environments, such as, for example: Permanent connection, which facilitates continuous access to the victim through messages, calls, emails, social networks. Also the virality of messages, which can reach a large number of people quickly; the ease of use of these media, which also provide some protection to the harasser, who is behind the screen, and whose guilt and responsibility is blurred. And lastly, the reduction in the perception of the harm caused, thanks to the ‘distance’ provided by technology.
The combination of bullying and technology is particularly delicate and we should always be on the lookout for any behaviour in minors, but what actions can be considered cyberbullying?
Types of cyberbullying
We can group cyberbullying, on the one hand, into behaviours that seek to ridicule, make fun of or humiliate a child, for example:
- Recording and disseminating physical or verbal aggression.
- Insulting on social networks.
- Using data such as the victim’s email address to sign them up for unwanted services or websites.
- Stealing the identity of the person to make offensive comments that provoke reactions against them.
- Misleading the victim by posing as friends or acquaintances and leading to some form of online harassment.
- Spreading false rumours about the victim.
Harassing through silent phone calls, or with threats, insults, repeatedly hanging up when they answer, at inopportune hours.
On the other hand, there is a type of cyberbullying associated with sexual behaviour by adults towards minors, sexual blackmail. For example, using deception to trick a minor into recording compromising or sexual videos or images, which can also be used to extort money from them. Or, the same behaviour, but in reverse when sending sexual images or conversations to minors.
Tips to avoid cyberbullying
By understanding the problem and its dimensions, it is possible to work on some attitudes that prevent the child from experiencing this situation. The basis is to create an atmosphere of trust with adults so that the child can communicate any behaviour that he/she may consider annoying or ask for help, if necessary.
It is also important to make the child understand the importance of his or her online behaviour, for example:
- Do not share their personal details or images, especially not with people whose identity they do not know.
- Be careful about their participation in social networks.
- Do not respond to threats or insults and ban annoying profiles.
- Avoid participating in conversations with comments that you would not physically make.
- Use technology within limits that allow them to enjoy other types of leisure activities.
What can set off alarm bells?
Even with all the precautions, cyberbullying is a phenomenon that can appear at any time. Being alert is crucial and there are questions that can give us clues… Here are some questions that can help us:
- Is the child sadder or more apathetic than usual?
- Does he/she make intensive use of the mobile phone? Is he/she constantly alert and nervous?
- Is he/she reluctant to attend classes on a daily basis? Has his/her academic performance deteriorated?
- Is he/she more unfocused than usual?
- Has he/she stopped doing activities that used to motivate him/her?
- Physically, does he/she suffer from headaches, dizziness, insomnia?
- The answer to these types of questions can give clues to the child’s environment and alert to a possible case of cyberbullying.
How to deal with this situation?
The first thing is to convey confidence, to prevent the child from feeling guilty about their situation and that they should trust the adults around them in order to overcome it. They must be made to understand that together they can tackle the problem and respond to it.
Measures can be taken in the networks where the child is being bullied: save messages or actions that show the bullying, block bullying profiles and do not respond to threats or insults.
It is important to seek support from the school: report the situation and assess whether the school environment may be participating in this bullying.
If the situation requires it, report the situation to the authorities.
In short, being alert and informed is crucial for adults to be able to detect and accompany minors.
