The European Commission unveiled a new plan to combat cyberbullying on 10 February, marking Safer Internet Day. With one in six children aged 11 to 15 reporting they have experienced cyberbullying, the initiative centres on the launch of an EU-wide app. The app will allow children and teenagers to report incidents to a national helpline, access support, and securely store evidence of bullying. The plan also aims to strengthen coordination between national efforts to address cyberbullying. The Commission is calling on EU countries to develop national strategies and adopt a shared definition of cyberbullying to improve the collection and comparison of data. In addition, it will review existing EU initiatives to identify how they can be improved. A further key focus is prevention. The Commission wants to promote safer and more responsible digital behaviour from an early age and will explore how existing EU tools and regulations can be used to better train teachers and enhance the resources and support available to schools.
Read more