Mobile Technologies and the Incidence of Cyberbullying in Seven European Countries: Findings from Net Children Go Mobile

Abstract

Abstract:The harmful effects of bullying and harassment on children have long been of concern to parents, educators, and policy makers. The online world presents a new environment in which vulnerable children can be victimized and a space where perpetrators find new ways to perform acts of harassment. While online bullying is often considered to be an extension of persistent offline behavior, according to EU Kids Online (2011), the most common form of bullying is in person, face-to-face. With the rise in use of mobile Internet technologies, this balance is changing. Increased levels of use and more time spent online accessed through a variety of devices has increased children's exposure to a range of online risks, including cyberbullying. This article presents the findings of the Net Children Go Mobile project, a cross-national study of children aged 9-16 in seven European countries. The research builds on the work of EU Kids Online and supports the identification of new trends in children's online experiences of risk and safety. The study finds that while overall levels of bullying have remained relatively static, levels of online bullying have increased, particularly among younger teens. The relationship between cyberbullying and the use of mobile Internet technologies is examined and factors contributing to increased levels of cyberbullying are highlighted.

Cross-national aspects of cyberbullying victimization among 14–17-year-old adolescents across seven European countries

“…The “EU Kids Online” study of over 25,000 children between the ages of 9 and 16 reported prevalence of cybervictimization ranging between 2 and 14%, lowest in Italy and Portugal and highest in Estonia and Romania [ 14 , 15 ]. The “Net Children Go Mobile” project found higher rates, increasing from 7 to 12% from 2010 to 2014 [ 16 ]. National studies in individual European countries have found rates of cyberbullying victimization from 5.5 to 44% [ 12 , 17 – 25 ].…”

“…A child’s social environment plays a fundamental role in determining the level of risks online, including cybervictimization [ 14 , 16 , 45 ]. A bio-ecological view of human development posits that a child’s online experience is shaped by multiple layers of interacting environmental systems [ 16 , 46 , 47 ].…”

“…A child’s social environment plays a fundamental role in determining the level of risks online, including cybervictimization [ 14 , 16 , 45 ]. A bio-ecological view of human development posits that a child’s online experience is shaped by multiple layers of interacting environmental systems [ 16 , 46 , 47 ]. Using a child-centered perspective [ 14 ] in the study of these systems requires the exploration of “within-person competencies”, “interpersonal variables” (family and peers) and “extra-personal” context-dependent variables (social and cultural) in order to account for risk and protective factors that may correlate with cybervictimization, [ 16 , 45 , 48 ].…”

“…A bio-ecological view of human development posits that a child’s online experience is shaped by multiple layers of interacting environmental systems [ 16 , 46 , 47 ]. Using a child-centered perspective [ 14 ] in the study of these systems requires the exploration of “within-person competencies”, “interpersonal variables” (family and peers) and “extra-personal” context-dependent variables (social and cultural) in order to account for risk and protective factors that may correlate with cybervictimization, [ 16 , 45 , 48 ]. A contextual and comparative approach may allow an understanding of how national and cultural characteristics affect a child’s Internet use on a continuum of different levels of directedness.…”

Associations between self-injury and involvement in cyberbullying among mentally distressed adolescents in Scania, Sweden

“…Furthermore, we wanted to describe the overlap between involvement in cyberbullying past year and traditional bullying past few months, expecting a general pattern of similarity regarding type of participation [16]. Since more girls than boys report cyber victimization [12], self-injury (especially cutting) [7] and mental distress [1], all analyses were stratified by sex.…”