Insults or mockery, sharing of photos without the consent of the person concerned: 60% of young people aged 18 to 25 have already been victims of cyberbullying, indicates this study financed by the Caisse d’Epargne.
«A huge proportion,» said Justine Atlan, general manager of e-Childhood, to AFP.
«This is an age when young people are sometimes very alone and find themselves in a precarious situation, however they have the need for socialization of this age, which leads them to take risks» online, explains- she.
Cyberbullying sometimes has «heavy» consequences on the physical and mental health of victims: 69% of them say they have suffered insomnia, appetite problems or felt despair and 49% say they have thought about suicide.
The majority of victims experienced cyberbullying for the first time before the age of 21.
«Uses continue to grow, young people have several messaging systems, register on different social networks, which multiplies the risk factor of being cyberbullied», describes Ms. Atlan.
The most used platforms are those where there are the most reports of cyberbullying. «For young people, it’s going to be more TikTok than Facebook,» she says.
The study does not make it possible to define a typical victim profile, given their very large number. However, it notes that a few more men, non-graduates, registered on a greater number of social networks and online games, are concerned.
This study was carried out by the Audirep Institute between May 18 and June 3 via the internet, with a representative sample of 1,209 young people aged 18 to 25.