Children are often afraid to report cyberbullying for fear of stigmatization, judgment by adults, or rejection from peers. Two-thirds of children worldwide report an increase in cyberbullying Human rights
About two thirds of children worldwide report an increase in cyberbullying, and one in two say they don’t know where or how to get the support they need. These data were obtained as a result of a survey conducted by the office of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Violence against Children.
The report highlights the “urgent need for the entire online ecosystem to act quickly and collaboratively to benefit children.” The study comes amid reports of growing threats to children from conflict, displacement, poverty and rising levels of violence. “We are once again in a challenging world where children pay the highest price,” said Dr Najat Maalla. Mjid, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, presenting a report at a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Artificial intelligence is “radically changing the nature of threats”
More than 30 thousand children from all regions of the world took part in the survey. The study authors emphasize that artificial intelligence (AI) is “fundamentally transforming the threats” children face online. The rapid development and availability of generative AI is changing the nature of cyberbullying: it is becoming faster, more targeted, harder to detect, and capable of spreading across multiple platforms. As AI allows the creation of deepfake photos and videos, as well as the manipulation of children through chatbots and other tools, children often cannot differentiate between contacting an algorithm and communicating with real people. Deepfakes are “increasingly being used to humiliate, threaten and exploit children online,” Dr Mjid’s office warned on Tuesday.
Fear of stigma
According to the report’s authors, children are often afraid to report cyberbullying due to fear of stigmatization, judgment by adults, or rejection from peers. The consequences of staying silent can be devastating, from psychological distress to long-term reputational damage. In the most tragic cases, this can lead a child to attempt suicide. Dr Mjid emphasized the need for a collective effort from all stakeholders in the online child protection ecosystem – governments, the digital industry, educators, parents and children themselves – to protect children from online threats while ensuring they can safely participate in the digital environment.