New cyberbullying report paints grim picture as trends continue
Posted August 11, 2022 7:15 am.
Last Updated August 11, 2022 7:32 am.
New research finds cyberbullying remains a major concern for children across the world, including in Canada.
McAfee’s latest data shows many Canadian children admit they’ve experienced some form of it. The company notes concerns only continue to grow.
It found “Canadian children experience cyberbullying largely on par with global rates—yet their parents act on it less often than other parents, and Canadian children are the least likely to seek help when it happens to them.”
In this country, about 11 per cent of children reported stalking, harassment, and physical threats online. When it comes to sexual harassment online, 14 per cent of kids in Canada reported experiencing some form of it.
But it’s not just that children are experiencing the cyberbullying first hand — many are also watching it play out online.
Fifty-nine per cent of children in Canada have reported being the target of or experiencing cyberbullying on Facebook, while 46 per cent have said they saw it happen. On Instagram, the split is a bit larger, with 57 per cent reporting they’ve experienced it while 35 per cent have witnessed cyberbullying.
McAfee notes in many cases, the attacker is someone the child knows — though this is mostly true in European countries and Australia.
In Canada, just over half of children surveyed reported that they were being cyberbullied by someone they knew. Just 36 per cent said the person was a stranger.
Cyberbullying expert David Chong isn’t surprised by the numbers and suggests they could actually be much higher in Canada. He notes the country could do with a better system to help address and track this kind of behaviour but adds it’s important we talk more about cyberbullying.
“I think … the education system, maybe we should actually focus more on this topic so that the general public would be more aware of it,” he explained.
As for what parents can do, Chong says it’s all about observation.
“What kind of normal behaviour [are their kids] having right now? For example, say if their teenagers just stay at home in their room for a very long time and then all of a sudden they have some kind of abnormal behaviour or emotional outburst — that might be a reference for the parents to [think] there may be something happening for the teenager,” he explained.
“I think it’s very important for [parents] to understand what’s going on, what they are going through.”
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Chong says it’s also important for parents to be open with their children and not use a “talk-down” approach when dealing with their kids.
“As the teenagers, they need to see whether they can find a trustful adult. It doesn’t have to be the parents — they can actually reach out to anyone they trust,” he added, pointing to people like counsellors or other trusted adults.
The latest report comes as Aydin Coban, the Dutch man who was convicted over the weekend of extorting and harassing B.C. teen Amanda Todd, is expected to learn his sentencing date.
Coban was found guilty on all five counts Saturday.
Amanda was 15 years old when she took her own life 2012 after posting a YouTube video that described being tormented by an online harasser.
-With files from OMNI
