Most cyber-bullying occurs on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat: study

Researchers at Stellenbosch University say there is an urgent need to establish strategies to combat the impact of cyber-bullying on teenagers .

The university’s Professor Daniel le Roux and Artefact South Africa’s Camryn Twaddle found that cyber-bullying affected teenagers’ emotional well-being, including academic performance.

They explored the prevalence and patterns of cyber-bullying behaviour among teenagers in South Africa and examined differences across demographics and social media use.

Twaddle says that most cyber-bullying occurs on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

“As far as social media platforms are concerned, TikTok was the platform where teenagers most often reported experiencing different forms of cyberbullying, including threats, insults, rumours, embarrassing or hurtful messages, secrets shared without permission, and inappropriate photos and/or videos being shared.” “Because online experiences, emotions, and academic achievements are all interconnected, they need to be understood together to create effective prevention and support strategies that can address cyberbullying amongst teenagers in South Africa,” adds Twaddle.