Online bullies thrive during lockdown

INTERNET: Calls made to a charity supporting young people affected by cyber-bullying have spiked during the lockdown.

The Diana Award says it has seen a 100 per cent increase in calls and messages, as young people’s social media use has been higher than ever while schools are closed and people have been staying at home.

CALLS MADE to a charity supporting young people affected by cyber-bullying have spiked during the lockdown as new research has revealed the impact the online campaigns of abuse can have on victims.

The Diana Award says it has seen a 100 per cent increase in calls and messages, many of which have been from victims of bullying online as young people’s social media use has been higher than ever while schools are closed and people have been staying at home.

Meanwhile, the first study of its kind has suggested that cyberbullying can lead to post-traumatic stress (PTS) for both victims and bullies.

Experts from Imperial College London found that cyber-bullying can lead to intrusive, repetitive thoughts and flashbacks, as well as avoidance behaviours such as refusing to talk about an experience or avoiding certain people and places.

Alex Holmes, the deputy CEO of The Diana Award which was set up in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, said yesterday that teenagers were seeking solace from the lockdown through social media, but that this in turn has also had negative effects.

Mr Holmes said: “Usually the number of conversations won’t be quite so high because young people will have a support network at school, but we have seen conversations increase and there has been a noticeable spike – particularly in March.

“With young people not having so much structure in their days it can be a little bit harder as a young person to understand the boundaries in how much communication is too much.

“It can also lead to young people to perhaps overshare, making them more vulnerable to negativity, as well as forget about the consequences of their behaviour and attitude towards others.”

Mr Holmes added the charity has also been helping people with stress, anxiety and other mental health issues which had been heightened during the pandemic.

Industry regulator Ofcom has told MPs that online platforms could face fines and sanctions if it is appointed to regulate harmful content online.

Chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes has told the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that “financial

penalties” and even temporary disruptions of sites could be penalties for platforms which fail to protect users.

She stressed the protection of young people should be prioritised, and said Ministers must also consider legal harms such as bullying and where they should sit within the duty of care.

The Diana Award has now teamed up with social media platform Yubo as part of Stop CyberBullying Day on Monday.

Annie Mullens, the independent chief safety officer for Yubo, which allows users to video chat live and has 30 million users worldwide, said the platform had extensive measures to safeguard its users.

Yubo also has strict age verification measures as well as intelligence which prevents people sending personal details or vitriolic messages.

The research from Imperial College London which is published today analysed data from four secondary schools in London.

From a sample of 2,218 pupils aged 11 to 19, they found a “significant overlap between traditional bullying and cyber-bullying”.

A significant proportion of those who were cyber-victims (280 children or 35 per cent) or cyber-bullies (178 children or 29 per cent) showed signs of posttraumatic stress, the researchers found.

We have seen conversations increase and there’s been a noticeable spike. Alex Holmes, Deputy CEO of The Diana Award charity.