According to a report released by computer security software company McAfee, up to 85% of children in India report that they have been cyberbullied as well as cyberbullying. The India-focused findings are part of the company’s global report, “Cyberbullying at a Glance,” a 10-country survey. It ran from June 15 to July 5 and covered 11,687 parents and their children. McAfee also claims that the survey uncovered a startling fact – that many children regularly engage in cyberbullying without realizing what their behavior is, and parents struggle to keep up.
“Cyberbullying in India reaches alarming heights as more than a third of children face threats of online racism, sexual harassment and physical harm as early as age 10 – making India the world’s number one reporting cyberbullying countries,” McAfee chief product officer Gagan Singh said in the report.
It further stated that children in India witness and experience the highest levels of cyberbullying on almost all social media and messaging platforms.
“85% of Indian children report that they are cyberbullied and others are cyberbullied at rates far more than twice the international average,” the report said.
Additionally, 45% of these kids said they hid their experiences of cyberbullying from their parents, possibly because of their relative lack of conversation.
Methodology
In a press release, McAfee explained its approach to the survey, which was conducted in conjunction with market research firm MSI-ACI. Parents of 10- and 18-year-olds were invited to complete an online questionnaire by email.
Parents were first asked if their children could complete a survey. If so, parents are asked to complete a few questions themselves before handing the questionnaire to their child.
The 10 countries surveyed are: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, India, Canada, Japan, Brazil and Mexico.