Cyberbullying Statistics: What the Numbers Tell Us

• Update 10/13/21: Safeguards To Protect Filipino Children Against Bullying
• Update 10/11/21: Online Bullying and Libel in the Philippines

 
 

 
 
We conducted an informal survey on the last quarter of 2012 to get a grasp of the Philippine cyberbullying situation. Since cyberbullying and bullying incidents remain under-reported,  except the group bullying that mobbed Paula Salvosa aka “amalayer” and (Atty) Chris Lao “I was not informed”, we thought why not do a survey to get some facts of the day-to-day and almost ignored cyberbullying incidents. The survey was taken from the different schools where I held my talks- public, private, and top-tier primary and secondary schools. The result gave us an idea of how things are in the dark alley of the cyber world where bullying and harassment takes place.
 
Herewith are cyberbullying statistics of the online survey we conducted:
 
 
AGE GROUP OF THOSE WHO SAID THEY ARE BULLIED:

• 53%  Adult (18+)
• 47%  Minor (17 and below)

 
 
SEX:

• 57% Female
• 43% Male

 
 
OBJECT OF ATTACK (Top 3)

• Attack on reputation
• Attack on appearance
• Attack against the victims opinion

 
 
NATURE OF ATTACK (Top 3)

• Spreading photoshopped image
• Spreading videos that are supposedly private
• Poser/ Spreading  lies

 
 
PLATFORM USED (Top 3)

• Facebook
• Cellphone (distant second)
• Blogs

 
 
SHARED THE INCIDENT WITH

• Friend
• Parents (distant second)
• Sibling

 
 
OTHERS

• 79% were bullied by  one person
• 21% were bullied by a group

 
 
The cyberbullying statistics suggest that girls are more susceptible to cyberbullying,  is no respecter of age. Filipino cyber bullies appear to be creative since more than words, they use photoshopped images to hurt their victims. Others use supposed private videos as means to harass their victims. Identity theft also plays a big role on cyber harassment.
 
Facebook as the most popular social networking in the Philippines, is also the primary platform of bullies. And because we can easily purchase a prepaid sim card, cell phone comes second while blogs come third.
 
It is also interesting to note that Filipino victims are more transparent to their friends than family.
 
Finally, these cyber bullying statistics revealed an interesting point worthy of a separate blog post, bullied because of unpopular opinion.
 
To be cyber mobbed because of your opinion in a democratic space like the Philippines speaks of our democratic maturity. Free speech can indeed violate a human right. But that’s another topic altogether, until then.