According to a study from the Barmer health insurance company, young people in Germany are becoming victims of cyberbullying more and more frequently. This happens in messengers like WhatsApp as well as in social networks like Instagram or TikTok. Every second young person knows someone from their own immediate environment who has already been affected.
This shows that the problem may be intensifying. Because a year ago the value was still 43%. However, it is also possible that less the cases and more the sensitivity of the people has increased. That’s always difficult to say with such surveys, because they are very susceptible to interference. The proportion of girls and boys who had never encountered cyberbullying online fell to 32% and 28%, respectively.
Bullying has increased, especially on TikTok. But that too has to be viewed critically, because perhaps the use among young people has primarily increased, which means that there are more incidents, even if the percentage of users of the short video platform is possibly the same.
Young people most often name insults as a form of bullying – 74%. This is followed by incidents such as spreading rumours, being excluded from groups or posting embarrassing videos, pictures or harassment for those affected. However, stalking and identity theft are also mentioned. Based on the findings, Barmer CEO Christoph Straub calls for easy access to help and contact points. Especially since 19% of those affected would not have received any help. Here one would have to look again, how many of them had tried to help at all.
According to Barmer, teachers, online counseling services or the police could help. In my experience, however, teachers often lack the necessary pedagogical qualifications and thus the ability to perceive and act. First of all, reforms in teacher training and adapted further training would be necessary.
About the study: According to the Barmer, around 2,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 17 were surveyed nationwide in October 2022.
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