One in three children in Kent have experienced online bullying

A survey commissioned by Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner showed almost one in three young people have been abused online and 26% have been bullied on their way to or from school.

The Youth Survey, completed by 4,400 children revealed 29% have been bullied online, up from 18% five years ago.  11% admitted to cyberbullying themselves.

The survey, commissioned by Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott, also asked young people whether they'd been bullied or harassed on their way to and from school.

26% said they HAD been bullied, picked on or harassed on their way to or from school and more than 33% said they'd been frightened.

Only 53% who had been scared told a parent or guardian and 30% told no-one.

Of those who had been cyberbullied nearly 54% told a parent or guardian and 44% told a friend, but 22% told no-one.

90% of those who had been bullied online still used the app where the abuse took place and 56% said they knew the culprit.

The questionnaire also asked young people about their online activity with 90% of those under 18 now owning a mobile phone, up from 76% in 2018. 

The most popular time to go online is between 3pm and 7pm, but more than a quarter admitted to logging on before 7am and a quarter admitted to being online after 11pm.

Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott says, "The results of this survey show how important it is to educate young people about online safety and what constitutes healthy relationships and appropriate behaviour.

"Of course, we can all fall prey to online scammers, but young people's lives are dominated by apps and social media and the industry grows and changes all time.  We must arm them with the tools they need to protect themselves.

"We also know that bullying, harassment and abuse can have very severe consequences for young people, and often they're too afraid or embarrassed to talk about it to parents, friends or teachers.

"As a result of this survey, we're expanding our Online Harm and Healthy Relationship school programme, provided by Collaborate Digital.

"Their interactive approach is already proving very popular with children and teachers.

"The sessions teach young people about appropriate behaviour and gives them advice as to what to do if they've experienced abuse.

"They've opened the door to many honest conversations within the classroom and we're delighted to extend the service."

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