Study: 44 Percent of Children Face Cyberbullying

Photo: ERG

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Forty-four percent of children face cyberbullying, while a fourth of the children do not share the unfavorable experiences they have on the internet with anyone, according to a 2018 study conducted by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

The study entitled, "Survey on Children's Media Usage Habits and Cyberbullying" was conducted with 3,029 middle school students (10-13 age group) from 99 schools in 26 provinces throughout the country.

Accordingly, 59.6 percent of the children use the internet when they are alone and 44.2 percent face cyberbullying RTÜK Chair Ebubekir Şahin told a press conference yesterday (December 19) in the capital Ankara.

Boys are more likely to both face cyberbullying and to become cyberbullies compared to girls, Şahin noted, adding that one in every four children do not share the unfavorable experiences they have on the internet with anyone.

Media usage habits: 'Children are addicted to the new media'

"Children are almost addicted to the new media," Şahin said, emphasizing that children spend one hour and 26 minutes on mobile phones, one hour and 29 minutes on television, two hours and 13 minutes on the internet, one hour and 16 minutes playing digital games, and one hour and 26 minutes studying.

Sixty-six percent of the students regard mobile phones, 44 percent regard computers, 30 percent regard tablets, and three percent regard television as "important," he added.

The percentage of children in the same age group who use the internet increased from 90.4 percent to 97 percent in 2018, according to the survey. Eighty-four percent of the children said the internet is "very important for them."

The percentage of middle school children who watch TV decreased from 98.3 percent in 2015 to 95.2 percent, according to the study. TV series are the most popular programs among the children with 51.5 percent while 41 percent of the children said they watch movies and 28 percent said they watch sports competitions and programs. (AÖ/VK)