Because of homeschooling and lockdowns in the corona crisis, young people spend a lot of time online – and that has consequences: According to a study, almost every fifth student has been affected by cyberbullying since the beginning of the pandemic. Parents and teachers confirm the development.
More than 1.8 million children and young people in Germany are affected by cyberbullying. That is 16.7 percent of the students and thus almost one or one in five, according to a study by the Techniker Krankenkasse and the Alliance against Cyberbullying. The corona crisis has exacerbated the problem even further. According to this, the proportion of schoolchildren between the ages of 8 and 21 who say they have already been affected by cyberbullying fell slightly compared to the previous study from 2020. Two years ago it was 17.3 percent. However, the number remains at a high level. In 2017, before the corona pandemic, the proportion was 12.7 percent.
At 65 percent, around two thirds of the students stated that cyberbullying had increased since the corona crisis. Parents and teachers see it similarly, each with 46 percent. “Homeschooling and contact restrictions due to the corona pandemic have ensured that children and young people spend even more time online,” explained TK boss Jens Baas. “Thus, conflicts are more often carried out over the Internet.” According to the TK, the victims of bullying suffer from physical complaints such as headaches or stomach ache and above all from psychological effects such as anxiety and sleep disorders as well as depression.
According to the survey, victims of cyberbullying felt hurt most of all. This was 58 percent. 40 percent reacted with anger, and at 34 percent, a good third said they were scared. At 15 percent, every sixth person said they had already taken alcohol, pills or drugs out of desperation, and at 24 percent almost every fourth victim expressed suicidal thoughts. The school-based prevention offers fell sharply compared to the previous study. There are 40 percent fewer training courses that specifically teach strategies for dealing with cyberbullying, as well as anti-violence training. From May to July of this year, 355 teachers, 1053 parents and 3011 students were surveyed nationwide.
