How many people experience cyberbullying every day?

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is harassment via social media, messaging, games, or email. It can happen 24/7, reach unlimited audiences, and leave permanent traces. WHO/Europe's HBSC study (279,000 adolescents across 44 countries, published 2024) finds that 1 in 6 school-aged children have been cyberbullied in the past couple of months. The UN's 2026 report puts the global lifetime rate at around 1 in 5 children and warns that two-thirds of children worldwide say cyberbullying is getting worse, driven in part by AI-generated content and deepfakes.

Scope and scale: what the research shows

What this means for you

If you have a teenager at home, the international picture is clear: around 1 in 6 adolescents has been cyberbullied in the past couple of months (WHO HBSC 2024, 279,000 respondents across 44 countries), and about 1 in 5 children globally have ever experienced it (UN SRSG 2026). It is one of the most common negative experiences in adolescent life today.

What makes cyberbullying different from schoolyard bullying is the absence of escape. It follows victims home, into their bedrooms, at night. A majority of victims never tell a parent or trusted adult, often because they fear being blamed, or having their phone taken away as a "solution."

Studies consistently link sustained cyberbullying to depression, anxiety, and in severe cases, self-harm. The UN 2026 report also flags AI-generated deepfakes as an emerging threat. The most protective factor identified in research is not monitoring software; it is an open conversation where a child feels they can report without punishment.

Cyberbullying victims vs. online speech arrests, today

Every day, millions suffer cyberbullying without legal consequence, while others are arrested for legitimate speech. Two sides of online harm measured in real time.

How cyberbullying evolved with social media

1. 2004Cyberbullying Research Center begins systematic US surveys; 12.9% 30-day victimisation rate
2. 2010US 30-day rate at historic low (7.5%); Facebook and early social media still growing
3. 2018WHO HBSC 2017/18: first large cross-national cyberbullying measurement; ~12-13% of adolescents affected across 44 countries
4. 2022WHO HBSC 2021/22: rate rises to 15-16%, 1 in 6 adolescents affected; boys and girls nearly equal for the first time
5. 2024WHO/Europe publishes HBSC Volume 2 (March 2024); UNESCO Safe to Learn and Thrive converges on ~1 in 10 learners globally
6. 2026UN SRSG on Violence against Children: ~1 in 5 children globally cyberbullied; two-thirds report an increase; AI deepfakes flagged as emerging threat

Cyberbullying: scale, harm, and the limits of platform policy

How cyberbullying victimisation has trended since 2004

WHO/Europe's HBSC study recorded the share of adolescents being cyberbullied rising from 12-13% (2017/18) to 15-16% (2021/22) across 44 countries. The UN's 2026 report finds two-thirds of children worldwide say cyberbullying has increased, with some countries seeing rises of 50% or more in recent years.

The scale behind the numbers

What academic studies have found

How the number is calculated

The rate is modelled from WHO/Europe's HBSC 2024 Volume 2 report (15% of adolescents aged 11-15 reported being cyberbullied at least once or twice in the past couple of months, across 44 countries and 279,000 respondents). Triangulated with UN SRSG 2026 (~1 in 5 globally, lifetime) and UNESCO 2024 (~1 in 10 globally). Important methodological note: these sources measure prevalence over a 2-month reference window, not daily incidence. Converting prevalence to a daily rate (÷ 30 days) is a modelling approximation — it assumes incidents are distributed evenly over the period, which likely overstates true daily new-victim counts. Applied to 1.0 billion online youth: 1,000,000,000 × ~17% ÷ 30 days ≈ 5.6 million/day ÷ 86,400 ≈ 65/sec. This is an upper-bound estimate. Many youth experience multiple incidents within the reference period, further complicating conversion to a daily rate. US-specific rates (Cyberbullying Research Center: 32.7% 30-day, 58.2% lifetime) are not representative of global prevalence and are not used.

Sources used: Cyberbullying Research Center - Summary of Research 2004-2025 - WHO/Europe - A focus on adolescent peer violence and bullying (HBSC 2021/22, Volume 2) - UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children - Annual Report on Cyberbullying. Full methodology: methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of young people experience cyberbullying?

WHO/Europe HBSC 2024 (44 countries, 279,000 adolescents): 15% have experienced cyberbullying at least once in the past couple of months. UN SRSG 2026 (30,000+ children globally): about 1 in 5 have ever been cyberbullied. UNESCO 2024 estimates 1 in 10 globally. In the US, Cyberbullying Research Center 2025 finds much higher rates (32.7% over 30 days, 58.2% lifetime), but those figures are not representative of global prevalence.

Has cyberbullying increased over time?

Yes. WHO HBSC data show the share of adolescents being cyberbullied rose from 12-13% in 2017/18 to 15-16% in 2021/22 across Europe, Central Asia, and Canada. The UN SRSG's 2026 annual report finds two-thirds of children worldwide say cyberbullying has increased, and in some countries the share affected has risen by 50% or more in recent years. Generative AI and deepfakes are identified as a new accelerator.

What are the psychological effects of cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying victims experience significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and academic disengagement than non-victims. Unlike offline bullying, the persistent digital nature means victims often feel unsafe even at home. The WHO, UNESCO, and the UN all recognise cyberbullying as a significant public health concern.