Recent findings from the World Health Organisation’s Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, conducted in Cyprus by the Ministry of Education, shed light on the issues of cyberbullying and traditional bullying among Cypriot students.
The survey, carried out between November 2021 and April 2022, gathered responses from 4,818 students aged 11, 13, and 15.
The study analysed three aspects of bullying: bullying at school, cyberbullying, and physical fighting.
Bullying at school
While 4.3% of Cypriot students (6% internationally) admitted to bullying others at school 2-3 times a month in recent months, boys reported higher rates of involvement than girls, both in Cyprus and internationally.
7.8% of Cypriot students (11% internationally) reported being bullied at school at least 2-3 times a month. Interestingly, no significant gender differences were found, neither in Cyprus nor internationally. Surprisingly, the highest rates of victimisation were among 13-year-olds, contrary to the international trend where bullying decreases as children get older.
In Cyprus, girls from high socio-economic backgrounds (11%) experienced higher rates of victimisation compared to those from low socio-economic backgrounds (7%), which contrasts with the international trend where children from poorer families are typically more vulnerable.
Cyberbullying
In the realm of cyberbullying, 9.5% of Cypriot students (12% internationally) admitted to cyberbullying others at least 1-2 times. Boys were found to engage in this behaviour more often than girls. In Cyprus, 15-year-olds and children from low socio-economic backgrounds were more prone to cyberbullying, which differs from the international trend where 13-year-olds are more commonly affected.
14.4% of Cypriot students (16% internationally) reported being victims of cyberbullying at least 1-2 times in the past few months. Notably, several countries reported higher rates among girls than boys, while in Cyprus, no significant gender difference was observed.
Involvement in fights
The study also revealed that 10.6% of Cypriot students (10% internationally) were involved in physical fights at least 3 times in the past 12 months. In almost all countries, including Cyprus, boys reported higher rates of involvement (14%) compared to girls (6%).
Both internationally and in Cyprus, these rates decreased with age, and no correlation was found with socio-economic status in the Cypriot context.
