Nearly one in five children experienced some form of online bullying last year, figures show, amid warnings that the problem has worsened during lockdown.
More than half (52%) of the children who were bullied online went on to say that they would not describe the behaviour involved as bullying, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), while one in four did not tell anyone.
While the data was based on a survey of 10- to 15-year-olds in England and Wales last year, the National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) expressed concern about the consequences of more children spending time online in recent months.
There was no significant difference in the proportion of girls (20%) and boys (17%) who had experienced an online bullying behaviour but the prevalence was significantly higher for children with a long-term illness or disability (26%) than those without (18%).
Asian or Asian British children were also significantly less likely to have experienced an online bullying behaviour (6%) than white children (21%), black or black British children (18%) and children from a mixed ethnic group children (19%), the ONS found.
Overall, 19% of children aged 10 to 15 years old in England and Wales experienced at least one type of online bullying behaviour in the year ending March 2020 – the equivalent of 764,000 children.
There is no legal definition of bullying, which is often described as behaviour that hurts someone else, physically or emotionally. Because there is no single definition, the ONS report stated, bullying could be perceived differently by individuals, particularly between adults and children, and this can depend on the context.
Dr Peter Macaulay, a lecturer at Staffordshire University who has researched cyberbullying and online safety issues relating to young people and children, said that cyberbullying had been on the rise before lockdown but some reports now suggested that just 20% of bullying took place at school now.
“The strain placed on mental health caused by being confined to the home for weeks at a time could be making matters worse,” he added.
“These unusual circumstances means that some kids may be venting their frustration online – and their classmates become the targets. I did a study early this year which found that some children may think that they know how to stay safe online but lack – or at least are unable to articulate – objective knowledge that could actually keep them safe. If children are feeling complacent online, this may make them more vulnerable.”
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “These findings are deeply concerning and echo what our ChildLine counsellors hear on a daily basis. We know online bullying is incredibly traumatic for young people and that it can feel impossible to escape.
“Lockdown has exacerbated these feelings and from April to October our trained counsellors held more than a thousand counselling sessions with young people about online bullying.”
