Cases of school bullying, both physical and through social networks - especially through WhatsApp - increase in Asturias, where the Association against bullying covered more than 500 cases last year. Experts call for more prevention from schools and families, and especially more control by parents of mobile phones and computers. Another warning: children start to harass at earlier ages, with ages between 10 and 11, the same as the victim, who is usually a classmate. But there´s also a positive fact: awareness campaigns are increasing the number of victims who face the stalkers with the support of their peers. This is a line of work that, according to the experts, must continue to influence.
The actual number of children and young people who suffer from bullying or cyberbullying is a mystery. Experts say that the data they work with is an approximation and in any case the tip of the iceberg. "School bullying endures due to the law of silence", David Álvarez says, a bullying expert and professor at the University of Oviedo. "To know its accurate evolution is necessary to implant a line of work with a rigorous measure and to maintain it in the time" he warns.
The Fundación ANAR and the Fundación Mutua Madrileña presented yesterday the "II Study on bullying and cyberbullying," according to those affected. "This is a report based on 1,207 real cases in Spain according to the analysis of data received In 2016 in the ANAR telephone number of Children and Teenagers Help. According to his data, harassment in Asturias has raised from 1.1% to 1.9%.
But there are relevant data in Asturias and throughout the country. For example, the average age of the harassed child has been reduced to between 10 and 11 years, and the number of victims of lower age, even up to the age of 7, has increased, and the perpetrators are mostly male.
However, in the case of digital harassment the majority of perpetrators are girls, who act mainly in groups and with an average age of 13.8 years.
Another important fact is that the number of harassed children who rebel against their aggressors has doubled with the support of their comrades, although it takes an average of 13 months to report it. Thus, only 11% of children rebelled and now the percentage has increased up till 51.8%.
The experts consulted in Asturias give little reliability to these figures, taking into account that it is based only on calls to ANAR. But Professor David Álvarez does indicate that "the greater the awareness, the greater the number of complaints". And the key is in these campaigns and in the work in the classrooms. "If bullying exists it is because it is tolerated", the psychologist said, "it is necessary for the comrades to see themselves as courageous children who denounce an injustice and not as snitches. We need to stress this idea", the psychologist added.
Encarna García, president of the Association against bullying, showed little optimism with the resolution of school bullying. "Complaints have increased a lot in the last four years" she said. "Bullying does not only mean insult and physical aggression, it means also social isolation, and cyberbullysing is an ulcer that increases among high school students. Computers and mobiles are given to 8-year-old children, and parents do not control what they do with the phone or with the computer", she added. Garcia also charged the teachers. "There are a lot of them involved, but there are others who let it happen. We have specific cases and it's outrageous".
