Insights into Cyberbullying and School Bullying in Cyprus
Recent research by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) has cast light on the prevalence of cyberbullying and school bullying among children in Cyprus. The study, which involved a significant sample of students, indicates that cyberbullying has affected over 14 percent of children at least once in the past few months.
The data suggests a concerning trend with 9.5 percent of children admitting to having bullied another child online during the same period. Meanwhile, 14.4 percent reported experiencing bullying themselves. The issue of bullying extends beyond the digital realm, with 4.3 percent of students having bullied peers at school multiple times in recent months, and 7.8 percent being on the receiving end of such behavior.
Furthermore, the research sheds light on physical altercations, noting that 10.6 percent of children have been involved in fights three or more times over the past year. While Cyprus shows lower statistics for school and online bullying compared to international figures, the rate of physical fights aligns with global trends.
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The HBSC survey has been a long-standing research effort since 1983, encompassing around 50 countries globally. The pilot survey conducted in December 2018 involved 1,182 students from 61 schools. The main survey spanned from November 2021 to April 2022 and saw the participation of 4,818 students from 212 schools, both public and private. This comprehensive study utilized an online student questionnaire to gather data, complemented by a school questionnaire distributed in 200 schools.
These findings highlight a critical issue facing today’s youth in Cyprus and underscore the importance of addressing cyber bullying and school bullying as part of broader educational and social strategies.
