Analytics, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Technology

“We are on a firm leading position in regard to cyber-bullying: 14% of children in the age of 9-16 have been cyber-bullied,” said Tartu University media studies professor Veronika Kalmus, who is the Estonian coordinator of the study “EU Kids Online”.

She said that Estonia had the leading position in real life bullying too: 43% of children admitted that they have been bullied.

Kalmus said that the results were not surprising as earlier studies have also indicated it. “Most likely it is not an internet centred phenomenon, but general level of aggressiveness. Aggressiveness has found an outlet in the internet environment.”

The study surprisingly indicated though that only parents of every 5th cyber-bullied kid knew about the problem.

Cyber-bullying takes place most frequently in social networks and MSN and mainly unpleasant messages with nasty content are sent, people are insulted and threatened. “The older the kids, the more of bullying takes place. There is no major difference between boys and girls,” said Kalmus.