In this special year, millions of students were deprived of school and forced to stay at home for long weeks. As a result, school bullying has dropped, but cyber bullying has increased significantly.
Who says no face-to-face school means more time spent behind the screens. On March 16, due to an upsurge in Covid-19 cases in the territory, President Emmanuel Macron announced the closure of nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools. This strict and national confinement lasted 55 days, a period during which the screens proved ubiquitous in the lives of many students.
The youngest (elementary school) have certainly increased their time spent in front of the screens, but it is mainly among adolescents (middle and high school) that serious drifts were observed, especially on social networks.
During confinement, the listening platform of the Association e-Enfance (Net Écoute), the reference for the protection of minors on the Internet, recorded an increase of 30% of requests, generating twice as many reports to platforms. Cyberviolence is at the root of it, such as webcam sexual blackmail (sextortion), revenge porn (pornographic revenge), or even the identification of "Ficha" accounts (created to degrade a person's image) .
One in ten teens have been the victim of cyberbullying
Like the numbers on bullying (700,000 student victims), the statistics on cyberbullying send shivers down your spine. According to a recent study carried out with OpinionWay by the e-Enfance Association and the Heyme Lab, one in ten teenagers says he has been a victim of online violence in the past. The main reasons mentioned are:
- The physique ("physical appearance" and "look" of clothing): 42%
- "Jealousy / envy": 39%
- Revenge " : 22%
The study also points to the fact that a real problem of identifying violence remains among adolescents. In fact, for 15% of them, “liking” an insulting comment is not considered cyber-harassment. Those who do so do not see themselves as stalkers, nor do they recognize the serious consequences this can have on a victim.
However, not reacting to a cyberbullying situation is one thing, but participating in it, even through a "like" is another, and immediately makes the person an accomplice.
These authors in question said in the study that they "liked", commented or shared an insulting comment "for fun" (27%) and "like the others" (26%).
+ 26% of requests linked to cyber-harassment in one year
The trends recorded on the Net Écoute platform during confinement did not reverse once the country was deconfined, on the contrary. A 26% increase in solicitations related to cyber-harassment was observed compared to September 2019, followed by personal data breach. The most frequent reason for reporting remains sexual blackmail on the webcam, whose 14 year old boys are statistically most often the victims.
As the students are back in school, cases of bullying are also on the rise. They are still less than half of the levels observed in September 2019.
Serious psychological consequences
The tragic aspect of cyberbullying is that it extends well beyond the doors of a school. It follows the victim home, in his privacy and can even, with the speed of the Internet, cross the borders. For Catherine Verdier, psychologist and founder of Psyfamille and the Amazing KIDS Association, “Cyber-harassment consists of virtual acts that have very real consequences. Everything is amplified compared to classic harassment since the whole world is there. If a photo or video of yourself in an embarrassing or inappropriate situation is posted on the Internet, it is impossible to turn back and changing school, college or high school will not change anything. "
For the victim, it is a real nightmare. She thinks about it constantly, thinks and dwells day and night, which has repercussions. on his sleep and his concentration. This feeling of vulnerability and constant aggression can even make him develop paranoia syndrome, anxiety and worry. Evils that she will not necessarily be able to explain in words.
"It's really dramatic since by damaging someone's e-reputation, that is to say the image we have on social networks or on the Internet in general, we destroy the esteem of self of a person, in a few clicks, continues Catherine Verdier. In girls, this discomfort usually results in scarification and suicide attempts, which are sometimes successful. Among boys, we observe more risky behaviors such as aggression or violence, but also risky behavior. " Whether girl or boy, a victim of cyberbullying will desperately seek to feel strong and take control. A management of her image that she no longer has on the Internet.
Facebook engages with parents
According to the study carried out by the e-Enfance Association, parents greatly underestimate the ability of their children to be perpetrators of online violence. In addition to this lack of discernment, there is a cruel lack of knowledge about the digital world, in which many of them sometimes feel helpless.
This is why Facebook and Instagram, in collaboration with the e-Enfance Association, Génération Numérique and UNAF, have decided to take action by launching The Connected Parents Club. This initiative aims to answer the questions that parents encounter with their children on all digital tools and digital questions (social networks, games, video, time spent, etc.). A Facebook group will therefore be set up, where everyone will be able to discuss everyday experiences without taboos and obtain advice from associations and experts.
In this context, Facebook is also launching the new “Online and Safe” website. In this site, parents will have access to various resources that will allow them to converse more easily with their children and teenagers about well-being, engagement, autonomy and opportunities around digital.