Cyberbullying rises in German schools, new study finds
A new German poll reports that 20.7 per cent of pupils have experienced cyberbullying.
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Cyberbullying among German school pupils is continuing to rise, according to a new nationwide poll. The researchers and organisers are calling for better prevention, while parents and teachers are chiefly advocating an age limit for social media.
On Tuesday in Berlin, Bündnis gegen Cybermobbing presented the sixth edition of its research into online bullying. According to the poll, 20.7 per cent of the pupils surveyed, aged between 7 and 20, say they have at some point been targeted by cyberbullying. In the previous survey, in 2024, the figure was 18.5 per cent. The results are based on a survey of more than 6,000 pupils, parents and teachers.
The figures describe self-reported experiences and are not a record of incidents at schools. It is also a study by a civil-society organisation, not a peer-reviewed scientific study. The comparison with earlier editions is therefore mainly an indication of a trend within the same line of research, not definitive proof that cyberbullying among all German young people has increased by precisely 2.2 percentage points.
The researchers say that school and the online environment are becoming increasingly difficult to separate. Conflicts between pupils can begin in a classroom and then continue in group chats or on social media. According to the study, this does not mean that schools can resolve every online incident themselves, but it does mean that teachers are often the first to pick up signals and need to know how to intervene.
Bündnis also links the rise to new digital tools, including generative artificial intelligence. These can be used to create and distribute insulting or manipulated images more quickly. That explanation comes from the organisation itself; the new poll does not prove that AI is causing the rise. The observation does, however, fit into a broader discussion about the speed at which online humiliation can spread.
According to the study, a majority of parents and teachers support a minimum age for social media, often 16. Supporters see such a limit as a way of keeping children away for longer from systems they are not yet able to understand fully. Opponents point out that age verification is difficult to implement, that young people also find support and information online, and that a ban could shift responsibility away from platforms and adults.
For schools in the Netherlands, the German poll is not a direct measurement of the situation in the Netherlands. The subject does, however, relate to a familiar policy question: how schools, parents, platforms and government should divide responsibilities. The main limitation remains that the figures come from a survey and that not every online argument is the same as sustained cyberbullying.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A German poll reports that 20.7 per cent of the pupils surveyed have experienced cyberbullying.
- The organisers and many parents and teachers are calling for stronger protection, including a possible age limit for social media.
- The poll does not prove which measure works best, nor does it prove that AI is causing the rise.
Left
Arguments Focus above all on the responsibility of platforms: make recommendation systems, reporting procedures and default settings safer, and place the heaviest duty on companies that profit from distribution.
Values Equal protection, public responsibility and attention to children who receive less guidance or have less digital knowledge at home.
Consequences A general age limit could exclude vulnerable young people from support and education, while better platform rules and strong school teams could work more structurally.
Centre
Arguments Combine clear age and safety rules with media literacy, support at school and reliable enforcement. Measures should be tested and evaluated.
Values Proportionality, feasibility and cooperation between parents, schools, government and businesses.
Consequences A package of measures takes time and money, but reduces the risk that one poorly feasible solution will be seen as a miracle cure.
Right
Arguments Parents should primarily be able to decide when children use social media. Platforms should remove harmful behaviour more quickly and make offenders identifiable.
Values Parental authority, personal responsibility and protection of public order.
Consequences Stricter age verification could limit access to harmful environments, but could also create privacy problems and lead young people to circumvent the controls.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The current figures and date have been confirmed by the organisers and two German public broadcasters. The text makes clear that this is a survey by a civil-society organisation and avoids causal conclusions.
- confirmed The study was presented in Berlin on 13 October 2026. — SWR reports the presentation on Tuesday 13 October; the research organisation gives the same publication date. source
- confirmed 20.7 per cent of the pupils surveyed say they have experienced cyberbullying. — SWR reports this percentage on the basis of Cyberlife VI. source
- confirmed The previous survey, in 2024, produced a figure of 18.5 per cent. — SWR gives 18.5 per cent for the previous survey. source
- confirmed More than 6,000 pupils, parents and teachers were surveyed. — SWR describes the sample as more than 6,000 participants from these groups. source
Editor's note
The publication on 13 October and the reported results of the new poll are certain. The research is not peer-reviewed, and the influence of AI is an interpretation by the organisers, not a proven cause.Sources
- Studien – Bündnis gegen Cybermobbing — Bündnis gegen Cybermobbing
- Alarmierende Studie: Jeder fünfte Schüler von Cybermobbing betroffen — SWR
- Traditional bullying and cyberbullying at schools in Germany — Robert Koch-Institut