February 7th is celebrated National day against bullying and cyberbullyingestablished in 2017 on the initiative of the MIUR as part of the National Plan for the prevention of bullying and cyberbullying at school.
Bullying and cyberbullying are characterized by violent and intentional verbal, physical and social manifestations, repeated over time by a single or multiple people, including online (cyberbullying).
There is an imbalance of power between those who attack, to hurt and humiliate, and those who suffer and are unable to defend themselves.
These are phenomena that express little tolerance and non-acceptance towards those considered different due to ethnicity, religion, psychophysical characteristics, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and particular family situations.
Facts and figures
According to data from Sorveglianza Health Behaviour in School-aged Children – HBSC Italia 2022the acts of bullying suffered at school are more frequent in the little ones (11 – 13 years) and in girls; for bullying the proportions are similar to those of 2017/18. The phenomenon of cyberbullying And growing in girls and boys of 11 and 13 years old. The two phenomena decrease with increasing age.
Bullying affects both sexes, not just boys. It is a phenomenon characterized by domineering actionsviolent and intimidating (verbal harassment, physical assaultsforms of persecutionetc.) exercise intentionally and repeatedly by a person or group of people, on a victim, including online (cyberbullying).
HBSC Italia data highlights that the 18.9% of boys and 19.8% of girls are victims of bullying in 11 year olds.; in the 13 year age group there are 14.6% of males and 17.3% of females; adolescents (15 years old) are 9.9% of boys and 9.2% of girls.
According to what emerges from the HBSC Italia Surveillance, in the age group 11 years are victims of cyberbullying 17.2% of males and 21.1% of females; the 13 year olds involved are 12.9% of boys and 18.4% of girls; 15-year-old adolescents are 9.2% of males and 11.4% of females.
Il Ministry of Health participate in National Working Group for the Sorveglianza Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Italia together with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the University of Turin, the University of Padua, the University of Siena, the Ministry of Education and Merit and the Regions. The survey represents the national tool for monitoring the factors and processes that can determine effects on the health of adolescents, through the collection of data on health, related behaviors and their determinants.
Il Report from the Criminal Analysis Service of the Central Criminal Police Directorate on “Minor victims of abuse” updated to 2022 highlights that with regards to cases of cyberbullying a has been registered increase equal to 13%between the years 2020 and 2021: in the 0-9 age group the data remained substantially identical while the greatest increase concerned the age group 14-17 years.
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