Better Internet for Kids

Although cyberbullying often takes place online and beyond the school grounds, its effects are frequently visible within the school community.

This practical guide has been developed for school education support staff, helping them to better understand the phenomenon, recognise warning signs among children and young people, and respond appropriately to concerns. It provides clear information, practical guidance and key indicators to support the prevention of cyberbullying and contribute to a safer, more respectful and inclusive school environment.

Whether on social media, messaging apps, video platforms, or in online games, cyberbullying takes place across various channels and can be extremely distressing for those affected.

This guide provides important information about cyberbullying. In addition to general facts about where and how often cyberbullying occurs, it explains typical indicators and warning signs that enable early intervention. Furthermore, it presents strategies and precautions that can help prevent cyberbullying and mitigate its potential negative effects on those affected.

Bullying is an extreme form of aggressive behaviour. It often manifests itself in the coexistence between people when basic needs are violated. If we can talk about this seriously, aggression can be used constructively. In the case of bullying, however, individuals are systematically excluded in the long term. The expansion of communication into the digital space has significantly exacerbated the explosive nature of bullying. This handbook is intended to help teachers act professionally in cases of cyberbullying.

By secondary school at the latest, many students will have their own smartphone. Even if not all students have their own device, there is almost always a class chat group. Students use the class chat for exchanges that usually go beyond school-related topics. A lack of netiquette and a lack of time or topic limits in class chat groups often lead to problems such as cyberbullying or excessive demands. Interactions in the chat and any problems in the class chat can also negatively affect the class climate.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to manipulate or completely recreate images, videos, audio and text. Such deepfakes can appear deceptively real, but do not correspond to reality. This means that you see or hear something that does not exist or has never happened.

In the Youth Panel Guide, we show what moves young people from the klicksafe Youth Panel (SIC Germany) online. In the guide, the young people give tips on online safety to other young people that are important to them and that they would like to have received themselves.

The Youth Panel Guide is the result of several workshops as well as individual and group interviews in which the young people dealt with eight online risks and developed tips to help them. The topics include sexual violence, cyberbullying, excessive media use, and hate and hate speech online.

Youth Panel media scouts Emilia and Tom provide tips in the flyer "What to do about cyberbullying?" on how to behave if you are affected by bullying or witness cyberbullying. What are the characteristics of cyberbullying? Who can I turn to if I am affected? And what role do bystanders play?

The klicksafe Youth Panel is a group of students who deal with digital trends and relevant internet topics. As media scouts, they help younger students find their way in the digital universe.

The poster "What to do about cyberbullying" provides people with disabilities with tips on how those affected by cyberbullying can behave. They are written in plain language.

The poster was created based on the 'Cyberbullying Easy Help app' (klicksafe 'Cybermobbing Leichte Hilfe App'). The content of the app was developed by and for people with disabilities. It is accessible and easy to understand.

Original title: "Cybermobbing erste Hilfe App"

Bullying on the internet can become a serious burden for young people. For this reason, members of the klicksafe Youth Panel have developed the cyberbullying first aid app. The app has won several national and international awards, including best submission at the ENABLE Hackathon coding competition.  

Original title: "Poster zur Cybermobbing erste Hilfe App"

The poster "What to do about cyberbullying?" provides young people with brief information on the topic of cyberbullying and tips on what to do if they are affected by bullying or witness it.