Major impact
Young people are online more and more often, always and everywhere. ‘Ordinary’ bullying usually stops after school, but cyberbullying continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cyberbullying is any form of bullying via the internet. It can involve unpleasant or hurtful comments, threats or blackmail. Recent research by Safer Internet Centre Netherlands (2019) shows that 21 percent of teenagers between the ages of twelve and seventeen have been bullied online at some point. Girls are victims more often than boys. In 2016, fewer than 10 percent of 15- to 18-year-olds had ever been bullied online (Safety Monitor 2016). Cyberbullying has consequences that are just as serious as, or sometimes even more serious than, ‘face-to-face’ bullying. This is because online bullying lacks social control. The bully also does not see the effect of their bullying behaviour immediately, meaning that online bullying continues unnoticed for longer. As a result, the victim may become socially anxious, depressed or desperate.

The VR experience
It is therefore important to increase young people’s awareness of the impact of online bullying. The VR lesson package, specially developed for grade 8 of primary education and the lower years of secondary education, helps schools do this. The lesson package consists of a VR film, an interactive whiteboard environment with assignments that make it possible to discuss cyberbullying safely in the classroom, and a teacher’s guide. Minne Fekkes, senior researcher in Child Health at TNO in Leiden, advised on the effectiveness of the educational material. "By using a VR film for pupils, there is finally an anti-bullying intervention that brings the bullying experience very close to the pupils. By having pupils watch a VR film, you can help them understand very well what online bullying does to you. Because of the intense experience, pupils are encouraged to become defenders rather than bystanders when it comes to cyberbullying", says Fekkes.

The Cyberbullying lesson package can be ordered via www.veiligheid.nl/cyberpesten.

Consortium against Cyberbullying
The free lesson package with the VR film ‘Do something’ was created by the Consortium against Cyberbullying. This partnership consists of organisations committed to social and digital safety and that believe it is important to develop young people’s awareness of the impact of online bullying in order to bring about behavioural change and offer a solution to a growing problem.