Shocking study: One in five students suffers from bullying!

Shocking study: One in five students suffers from bullying!

Around 20% of 15 to 16-year-old girls and 23% of boys of the same age are regularly affected by bullying, as the current PISA survey shows. These results highlight that almost one in four boys and one in five girls are victims of bullying at least several times per month, which is an alarming sign for the school environment. According to exxpress.at, a significant proportion of students are affected by this problem.

The WHO study “Health Behavior in School-aged Children” (HBSC) analyzed the situation of students in the 2021/22 school year. Boys and girls in the 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th grades were interviewed. Between 3% and 12% of girls and between 4% and 13% of boys said they had been bullied several times in the past few months. What is also worrying is that cyberbullying is increasingly becoming a problem as it occurs not only in school but also in the digital space.

Effects of bullying

Bullying is not only a form of violence, but also has far-reaching negative effects on the mental health of adolescents. The risk of mental illness is particularly high among those affected. According to an analysis based on data from the 2022 HBSC study, about 14% of students surveyed reported experiences of school bullying, while around 7% reported experiences of cyberbullying.

Additionally, the OECD's TALIS study found that 15% of school leaders observe weekly bullying or verbal abuse among students. These figures show that bullying is a significant health risk in children and young people that needs to be urgently addressed. The RKI emphasizes that there is a clear need for effective anti-bullying measures in schools.

Cyberbullying in focus

The WHO found in a recent publication that one in six school-aged children has experienced cyberbullying. Boys and girls in particular show gender differences in bullying behavior, with boys more prone to physical aggression while girls are increasingly active in cyberbullying. The analysis shows that cyberbullying has been increasing since 2018, which authorities perceive as a serious development. According to WHO, participation in cyberbullying among boys has increased from 11% to 14%, while the figure among girls has increased from 7% to 9%.

In summary, the picture of the bullying situation in schools is worrying. The need for effective measures to protect and support affected students is becoming increasingly clear in order to promote healthy and safe learning environments.