Some 16% of teenagers worldwide targeted by cyberbullying - Zelenska

Around 16% of teenagers across the world get humiliated and intimidated online, and almost 12% of teenagers admitted that they themselves bullied someone on the internet.

Olena Zelenska, the spouse of the President of Ukraine, reported this via Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

According to the First Lady, this research data was obtained as part of the international project "Health and Behavioral Orientations of Student Youths", published in 2024. Research was conducted among teenagers in Central Asia, Canada, and Europe, including Ukraine. "I talked about it at the fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, where the topic of bullying was mentioned at the two panels: on safe cyberspace and a safe school environment," the First Lady said.

She noted that bullying happens only on the internet.

"Children can be insulted at school, and then parents hear: ‘I don't want to go there’, but they don't understand the reasons. It is important that bullying is not a one-time argunebt with peers. This is a systematic humiliation of a child, which can significantly affect the formation of their personality and health," Zelenska emphasized.

Experts with the All-Ukrainian mental health program "How are you?" have collected a number of tips for parents, guardians and teachers, which will help them respond correctly to bullying, protect the child at the right time, and maybe save them before bullying has inflicted critical damage.

As Ukrinform reported, a declaration on the protection of children's rights was adopted at the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.