The prevalence of bullying is increasing more for girls than for boys

The prevalence of bullying is increasing more for girls than for boys


Students’ welfare in school also depends on freedom from abusive, hurtful and intimidating behaviours, something we should remember as we celebrate three key international days this month: the International Day Against Violence and Bullying at School, the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.  

SDG thematic indicator 4.a.2 measures the percentage of students who experienced bullying in the past 12 months. The latest addition to the UIS database comes from the 2022 round of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which measures several types of bullying behaviour among 15-year-olds. The most common behaviour is verbal and relational where students reported ‘Other students made fun of me’ and ‘Other students spread nasty rumours about me’.  

In most participating countries, the prevalence of bullying is higher for students that are from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background, are immigrant and male. But across countries that took part in the 2018 and 2022 PISA, bullying has been increasing faster for girls than for boys. In 34 of the 66 countries with available data, bullying increased by at least 2 percentage points for girls between 2018 and 2022. The same was true for boys in only 22 countries. In the 10 countries where bullying increased the most between 2018 and 2022, the increase for girls was considerably higher than for boys. In Türkiye, the share of 15-year-old girls who experienced bullying increased by 18 percentage points, compared to an increase of 7 percentage points for boys.  

Why has bullying increased more for girls?

The faster increase in the prevalence of bullying for girls aligns with their higher vulnerability to cyberbullying, which is partly because, as the 2024 Gender Report on technology in education: Technology on her terms showed,  girls often spend more time on social media than boys. A cross-country study of 31 high- and 11 low- and middle-income countries found that the relationship between intense social media use and being a victim of cyberbullying was more common for girls than for boys, at least partly due to the greater amount of time they spend online. In the United Kingdom, girls were more likely to report spending time on social media from the age of 10 and, at age 15, 43% of girls vs 31% of boys reported spending one to three hours a day on social media.  

Girls are also more often targeted by specific types of cyberbullying. Algorithm-driven image-based content, in particular, can expose girls to inappropriate material, ranging from sexual content to videos that glorify unhealthy behaviours or unrealistic body standards.  

What can be done to address bullying? 

Cyberbullying takes various forms, such as the deliberate publication of photos or videos of individuals without their consent, exclusion from digital groups, verbal violence and insults and threats. Many countries’ policies on technology in education are responding with awareness-raising, reporting mechanisms and digital risk interventions, usually at the school level. A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions in selected, mostly high-income countries estimated that the average programme has a 73% chance of reducing cyberbullying victimization.  

Cyberbullying can be fuelled by a lack of proper policies and a lack of regulations over smartphone use. Concerns over privacy and student wellbeing have prompted parents, teachers and government officials to advocate for stricter regulations on technology use among children. The 2023 GEM Report showed that over one third of countries have banned smartphone use in schools, with Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (Brazil), Quebec (Canada), Kerala and Andhra Pradesh (India) and Aceh Province (Indonesia) amongst others, restricting their use in schools since the report was launched in July 2023.  

Banning smartphones from classrooms may protect children from the risks of being online but is not a magical solution. As the prevalence of bullying continues to rise, countries need to take stronger measures to protect children from the risks of being online. The GEM Report’s PEER country profiles show that only 16% of countries had legislation in place to prevent and act on cyberbullying in school; of those, 38% did so since the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Earlier this month, representatives from governments, international organizations, the civil society, experts and youth representatives gathered in Bogota for the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. Convened by the Government of Colombia with the support of the Government of Sweden, UNICEF, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the World Health Organization, the Conference provided a pivotal moment to drive policy change and resources to demonstrate that violence prevention is possible. The discussions focused on preventing different types of violence, including cyberbullying. Protecting children from the threats of being online and ensuring safe digital futures for children and youth were one of the key priorities.  

Schools and online learning spaces should provide safe and supportive environments for all, including girls and women. As we continue to celebrate these key international days, robust evidence is needed more than ever, as it can help us shed light on the challenges, drive policy and demonstrate that change is possible.  

 



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