One in five young Germans affected by cyberbullying, study finds

Cyberbullying among children and adolescents in Germany is on the rise, with one in five young people reporting having been targeted online, according to a nationwide study released on Tuesday.

Some 20.7% of pupils said they had been the target of such an online attack, compared to the group's last study in 2024, when the figure was 18.5%, the Alliance Against Cyberbullying said as it presented the findings in Berlin.

That translates to almost 2.4 million young people affected in Germany, according to the organization's sixth Cyberlife report.

The attacks take place mainly via WhatsApp, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, as well as on gaming platforms and chatrooms.

Under the survey's definition, cyberbullying is defined as the deliberate act of insulting, threatening, humiliating or harassing others via the internet and mobile phone services over a prolonged period of time. 

Cyberbullying threatens the mental health of an entire generation, said Uwe Leest, chairman of the association and co-author of the study.

It starts as early as primary school age, with online attacks, and follows the affected children, adolescents and young adults around the clock and into all areas of their lives.

For the representative study, 4,525 children, adolescents and young adults aged 7 to 20 at primary schools, secondary schools and vocational schools were surveyed online between March and July. In addition, 1,100 parents and more than 700 teachers were surveyed.