Bullying and cyberbullying in the time of Covid19

• In Event: Let's talk about cyberviolence. An approximation with data

Abstract

According to the literature, bullying is an aggressive behavior, repeated over time, characterized not only by the desire to victimize another subject, but also by an imbalance of power between aggressor and victim, who has difficulty defending herself, which has always represented one of the major problems that characterize the dynamics of boys, especially for girls and foreigners.
With the advent of social networks, the phenomenon has moved online, taking the form of a dynamic with its own characteristics, which scholars call cyberbullying.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, children and adolescents have been over-exposed to the use of social platforms, creating states of uncertainty and stress in boys and girls and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts, caused by the impossibility of living their routine and being able to hang out with their schoolmates.
In this context, Istat has long since launched the survey "Children and young people: behaviours, attitudes and future projects", with the aim of collecting information on some aspects of the daily life of boys and girls aged between 11 and 19 living in Italy. In 2023, Istat carried out a new edition of the survey, in which it was important to assess the implications of social isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic for the intensive use of the internet among children and adolescents and its possible consequences on cyberbullying and in relation to the practice of self-inflicted violence, as defined by the WHO.

Authors

• Alessandra Capobianchi, Istituto Nazionale di Statistica of Italy (ISTAT)

• ramona cavalli, ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI STATISTICA (ISTAT)