In this country, about 11% of children reported being bullied, harassed and physically threatened online.
New research reveals that cyberbullying remains a major concern for children around the world, including in Canada.
McAfee latest data shows that many Canadian children admit to having experienced it. The company notes that concerns are only growing.
He found that “Canadian children experience cyberbullying at broadly the same level as global rates, but their parents do it less often than other parents, and Canadian children are the least likely to seek help when it comes to them.” arrived. »
In this country, about 11% of children reported being bullied, harassed and physically threatened online. When it comes to online sexual harassment, 14% of children in Canada said they had experienced some form of it.
But it’s not just that children experience cyberbullying directly – many also watch it unfold online.
Fifty-nine percent of children in Canada said they had been targeted or experienced cyberbullying on Facebook, while 46 percent said they had seen it happen. On Instagram, the split is somewhat larger, with 57% saying they have experienced it while 35% have witnessed cyberbullying.
McAfee notes that in many cases the abuser is someone the child knows, although this is especially true in European countries and Australia.
In Canada, just over half of children surveyed said they were cyberbullied by someone they knew. Only 36% 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 that the country needs a better system to help address and track this type of behavior, but adds that it’s important that we talk more about cyberbullying.
“I think … the education system, maybe we should actually focus more on this so that the general public is more aware of it,” he explained.
As for what parents can do, Chong says it’s all about observation.
“What kind of normal behavior [are their kids] have right now? For example, say if their teenagers stay home in their bedroom for a really long time and then all of a sudden they have some sort of abnormal behavior or emotional outburst – that could be a benchmark for parents to [think] there may be something going on for the teenager,” he explained.
“I think it’s very important for [parents] to understand what is happening, what they are going through.
Chong says it’s also important for parents to be open with their children and not use a “bashing” approach when dealing with their children.
“As teenagers, they need to see if they can find a trusted adult. It doesn’t have to be the parents – they can actually contact anyone they trust,” he added, designating people as counselors or other trusted adults.
The latest report comes as Aydin Coban, the Dutchman who was found guilty over the weekend of extorting and harassing British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd, is expected to find out your sentencing date.
Coban was guilty on the five points on Saturday.
Amanda was 15 when she took her own life in 2012 after posting a video on YouTube describing being tormented by an online stalker.
-With OMNI files