Cyberbullying: An overview of research and policy in OECD countries

Cyberbullying is a high priority policy challenge in many OECD countries. In recent years, the literature base on cyberbullying has rapidly expanded, shedding insights into the prevalence of the issue, highlighting which characteristics make children more likely to be cyberbullied, those that make them more likely to cyberbully others, and how this affects or is affected by well-being. Education systems have responded to this challenge in different ways such as promoting awareness of the issue, providing support to children in schools, through Internet safety initiatives, and implementing policies and sometimes laws to combat cyberbullying. There are a number of empirically assessed interventions that aim to support victims and reduce perpetration, although more information is needed on how to develop and scale up effective interventions. Furthermore, the current literature base underscores the need to establish a common and agreed upon definition of cyberbullying, and a need for research to identify its causes and effects.