Detailed Findings

II. Safety and technology

1. Perceptions of safety by location

One-third of youth say they feel very safe when online and two in ten parents feel that their children are very safe online. There have been significant declines in feelings of safety in the workplace and at school.

When considering to what extent they personally feel safe in a variety of places, almost all youth said they feel very safe when at home. And, while about six in ten said the same about their workplace or school in 2019, that range has fallen to around four in ten this year. Similarly, only around four in ten youth feel very safe when walking alone in their neighbourhood, and just one-third still feel very safe while online.

Parents have similar perceptions of their children’s safety at home, at school and in their workplace. However, fewer parents feel their children are very safe when online compared to youths’ perception of their own safety.

Impressions of youth safety by location

Percent who say very safe*	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
At home	86%	87%	91%	91%
In your/their workplace	43%	63%	38%	51%
At school	46%	59%	45%	49%
Walking alone in your/their neighbourhood	38%	43%	41%	41%
While online	32%	33%	19%	19%

* Excluding respondents who indicate category does not apply to them

Youth – Q1. To what extent do you personally feel safe in each of these places?

Parents – Q1. To what extent do you personally feel that your children are safe in each of these places?

Among youth, the following demographic groups are more likely to feel very safe while online:

· Boys (38% vs. 25% among girls)

· Anglophones (34% vs. 23% of Francophones)

Younger youth are more likely to feel at least somewhat safe while online compared to older youth. This group (age 14-17) is also more likely to feel safe at school or walking alone in their neighbourhood, compared to those aged 18-24. Youth who are still in school are more likely to feel safe online than those who are not in school.

Youth who, later in the survey, indicated that they have not experienced being cyberbullied feel safer online than those who have been cyberbullied. Similarly, those who have not witnessed cyberbullying and those who may have been perpetrators of cyberbullying are more likely to feel safe when online.

Among parents, the following groups are more likely to feel their children are very safe while online:

· 50 or older (24%)

· Anglophones (22% vs. 10% of Francophones)

· Those with older kids aged 18-24 (26% vs. 12% with kids aged 10-17)

Feeling that their child(ren) are at least somewhat safe when online is highest among men, and among those with male children. Later in the survey, parents were asked if their child had witnessed cyberbullying, or if they believed that their child(ren) had ever perpetrated cyberbullying. Those who had never witnessed cyberbullying and those who did not believe their child had perpetrated cyberbullying are more likely to personally feel that their child(ren) is safe when online.

2. Time spent online

Youth are spending more time online daily than they did in 2019.

Just under six in ten youth (57%) report spending over five hours each day online, a 12-point increase since 2019. The average amount of time spent online now stands at six hours, up from 5.1 hours in 2019.

Hours each day spent online

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)
1	2%	4%
2	8%	11%
3	15%	18%
4	15%	19%
5 or more	57%	45%
Average	6 hours	5.1 hours

Youth – Q2. About how many hours a day would you say that you spend online?

Among youth, those aged 18 or older, Anglophones, those with a university education and those who do not live with their parents are more likely to spend more time online (5+ hours).

Racialized youth and those with a disability (learning, mental and/or physical) are more likely to spend at least six hours online compared to those who are white or without a disability. Those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ are more likely than straight youth to spend at least six hours a day online. Correspondingly, spending more than six hours a day online is also linked with having online social interactions at least hourly.

3. Use of internet for social interactions

Almost all youth continue to report using the internet at least once a day for social interaction, with many using it constantly.

Nine in ten youth report that they use the internet for social interaction such as texting, messaging or chatting hourly/constantly (41%) or several times a day (46%). Parents have similar perceptions of their children’s online social behaviour. In both cases, there have been no significant changes since 2019.

Use of internet for any social interaction

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Hourly or more often/constantly	41%	39%	39%	36%
Several times a day	46%	52%	47%	50%
About once a day	6%	5%	5%	6%
A few times a week	4%	3%	5%	3%
Once a week or less	1%	1%	2%	1%

Youth – Q3. How often do you use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?

Parents – Q2. How often do your children use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?

Among youth, the following demographic groups are more likely to use the internet at least hourly for social interactions:

· 18 to 24 years old (46% vs. 33% who are 14 to 17 years old)

· Francophones (49% vs. 39% Anglophones)

· Currently work (45% vs. 36% who are not currently working)

Using the internet at least hourly is higher among youth who identify as having a learning disability or 2SLGBTQI+, and is also linked with being very aware of cyberbullying, as well as having witnessed cyberbullying.

Parents who are more likely to indicate their children use the internet at least hourly includes those who are:

· 50 or older (43% vs. 28% under 50)

· Have older teens aged 14-17 (43%) or young adults aged 18-24 (48%) (vs. 29% of those with younger children aged 10-13)

Parents who indicated that their child is on the internet at least hourly are also more likely to report that their child has been cyberbullied.

4. Use of social media sites and apps

Instagram and YouTube remain the most commonly used social media applications among youth. Use of Facebook, texting and e-mail has declined, and use of TikTok and Discord has increased.

Seven in ten or more youth continue to report using Instagram and YouTube in the past week. Though slightly less so than in 2019, around six in ten report using text messaging and email in the past week. A similar proportion used Snapchat in the past week; TikTok emerges strongly as a commonly used social media app in 2022, reported by half of youth. WhatsApp, Twitter, Reddit and gaming platforms are used by a minority of youth. Half of youth report using Facebook, a significant decline since 2019.

Perceptions among parents are in line with youth’s reported social media usage when it comes to YouTube, text messaging, e-mail and TikTok. However, parents are less likely to report that their children use Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Discord, Twitter, YouTube and Reddit. It is notable that the decline in the use of Facebook reported by youth is matched by a decline in the extent to which parents perceive their children to be using that platform.

Use of social media sites or apps in the past week

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
YouTube	72%	74%	66%	71%
Instagram	71%	71%	57%	64%
Text messaging	65%	76%	65%	74%
E-mail	61%	72%	57%	66%
Snapchat	61%	62%	51%	55%
TikTok	51%	*	50%	*
Facebook	49%	71%	42%	67%
Discord	31%	9%	16%	–
Gaming platforms, such as Xbox Live, PlayStation or Steam	–	–	32%	–
WhatsApp	29%	28%	25%	21%
Twitter	26%	24%	17%	30%
Reddit	23%	16%	7%	6%
PlayStation Network	11%	11%	–	–
Twitch	11%	5%	8%	–
Xbox Live	9%	9%	–	–

Youth – Q4. Which of the following online social media sites or apps have you used in the last week?

Parents – Q3. As far as you know, which of the following online social media sites or apps do your children use?

*Note: Not prompted in 2019

Among youth:

· Girls are more likely than boys to report using Instagram, text messaging, e-mail, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook. Boys are more likely than girls to report using YouTube, Discord, Twitch, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.

· Youth aged 22-24 are more likely to report using e-mail, Facebook and WhatsApp. Youth aged 18-21 are more likely to report Snapchat, TikTok and Discord. Youth under 18 are less likely to report using Facebook, e-mail, YouTube and Instagram.

· Geographically, text messaging is highest in Ontario. E-mail is most common in Ontario and the Prairies; Snapchat in Atlantic Canada; Facebook in Quebec and the Atlantic; and WhatsApp is more common in Ontario and B.C. Twitter is most common in Ontario.

· Francophones are more likely to use TikTok and Facebook; while Anglophones are more likely to text message and email, and use Discord and WhatsApp.

· Those who have been cyberbullied are more likely to identify YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter and Reddit as their most commonly used social media sites.

· Those who spend more time online (at least hourly) are more likely to use Instagram, YouTube, text messaging and TikTok.

· Those with a mental disability are more likely to use Instagram, text messaging or e-mail.

· Racialized youth are more likely than white youth to use Discord, WhatsApp, Twitter, Reddit and Twitch.

Parents with kids aged 14-24 are more likely than those with younger children to indicate that their kids use most types of social media sites or apps.

5. Experience of online social activities

Most youth continue to report mostly positive experiences with online social activities, such as texting and messaging, gaming and using social media.

Asked to rate their experience with certain online social activities, eight in ten youth say that their experiences texting and messaging are at least mostly positive, six in ten when using social media, and just under six in ten game. Though these experiences still qualify as mostly positive, these numbers have softened since 2019, most prominently in gaming, where more now say it does not apply to them.

Impression of online social activities

Percent totally or mostly positive*	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)
Texting and messaging	80%	84%
Using social media	61%	68%
Gaming	57%	74%

* Excluding respondents who indicate category does not apply to them

Youth – Q5. To what extent have each of the following online social activities (such as chatting with friends, gaming, and using social media), been a positive or negative experience for you?

III. Perceptions of cyberbullying

1. Awareness of cyberbullying

The vast majority of youth and parents continue to be at least somewhat aware of cyberbullying.

The proportions of youth and parents who say they are aware of cyberbullying are similar to those found in 2019. Moreover, six in ten youth, and about half of parents, report that they are very aware of it – and this is also consistent with findings from 2019. Very few parents and youth say that they are not very aware of cyberbullying or have never heard of the term before.

Awareness of cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Very aware	58%	60%	47%	49%
Somewhat aware	35%	35%	45%	44%
Not very aware	5%	4%	5%	5%
Have never heard of it before	1%	1%	2%	1%

Youth – Q6. How aware would you say you are of “cyberbullying”? Are you?

Parents – Q4. How aware would you say you are of “cyberbullying”? Are you?

Among youth, the following demographic groups are more likely to be very aware of cyberbullying:

· Girls (64% vs. 52% boys)

· Aged 18-24 (62% vs. 53% younger youth)

· Anglophones (61% vs. 47% of Francophones)

Those who use the internet at least hourly are also more likely to say they are very aware of cyberbullying, as are those who have been cyberbullied or have witnessed cyberbullying. Youth who identify as having a mental illness are also more likely to say they are very aware of cyberbullying, as well as those who identify as being 2SLGBTQI+.

Parents who have children who have been cyberbullied and/or been a witness to it are more likely to say they are very aware of cyberbullying.

2. Sources of information about cyberbullying

Youth are still more likely to learn about cyberbullying from school or teachers. They are less likely than they were in 2019 to report learning about cyberbullying from news stories or from ads/public service announcements.

Nearly eight in ten youth remain more likely to learn about cyberbullying from school or teachers. However, while close to six in ten learned about it from news stories or ads/public service announcements in 2019, that number has dropped to around four in ten this year. Fewer than half say they learned about cyberbullying from their parents or from peers, including friends or people they know online who have been cyberbullied. Two in ten youth continue to say that they learned about cyberbullying from personal experience.

Sources of information about cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=801)	2019 Youth (n=790)
From school or teachers	75%	78%
From news stories about it	43%	57%
From ads or public service announcements about it	43%	59%
From my parents	40%	39%
From friends or people I know online who have been cyberbullied	37%	44%
From personally experiencing cyberbullying	21%	20%
Other	1%	1%

Youth – Q7. Where and how have you learned about cyberbullying?

Among youth:

· Girls are more likely than boys to learn about cyberbullying from school/teachers, news stories, ads/public service announcements, or from friends or people they know who have been cyberbullied. Boys are more likely than girls to learn about cyberbullying from their parents.

· Youth under 18 are more likely to have learned about cyberbullying from their parents, and those aged 18 or older are more likely to have learned about it from news stories or ads/public service announcements.

· Youth in Atlantic Canada and Quebec are less likely to learn about cyberbullying from news stories about it; however, they are more likely than youth in other regions to learn about it from their parents.

· Anglophones are more likely to learn about cyberbullying from news stories and/or from friends or people they know who have been cyberbullied.

3. Perception of seriousness of cyberbullying

Most youth, and especially parents, continue to view cyberbullying as a very serious problem for young people in Canada.

Asked to rate how much of a problem cyberbullying is for young people in Canada, most youth consider it to be a very serious problem, with two-thirds giving it a seven or more on a scale from zero to 10, a slight decline since 2019. Fewer than one in ten say it is not much of a problem. Parents continue to be more likely than youth to say that cyberbullying is a serious problem.

How much of a problem cyberbullying is perceived to be

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Serious problem (7-10)	67%	73%	77%	79%
Middling (4-6)	26%	20%	18%	16%
Not much of a problem (0-3)	6%	7%	4%	3%
Average	7.3	7.4	7.7	7.8

Youth – Q8. How much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people in Canada?

Parents – Q5. How much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people (i.e. 10 to 24-year-olds) in Canada?

Among youth, those more likely to view cyberbullying as a very serious problem (8-10 on the scale) include girls (56% vs. 39% of boys), Francophones (54% vs. 45% of Anglophones) and those who have witnessed and/or experienced cyberbullying.

Parents who are more likely rate cyberbullying as a very serious problem (8-10 on the scale) include mothers, Francophones and those who are very aware of cyberbullying.

4. Perceptions of frequency of cyberbullying

Large majorities of youth and parents continue to believe that cyberbullying is everywhere, or is at least pretty common and affects a lot of young people.

Youth and parents have similar perceptions of the frequency with which young people experience cyberbullying. About two in ten believe that cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it, and around six in ten say that cyberbullying is a common occurrence which affects many young people. Just two in ten parents and youth say that it occurs occasionally affecting a minority of young people, leaving very few who say that cyberbullying is quite rare.

Perceptions of the commonality of cyberbullying among youth and parents are consistent with 2019 findings, though youth are now directionally more likely to believe that cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it.

Perception of frequency of cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it	20%	17%	18%	17%
Cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people	55%	60%	57%	60%
Cyberbullying happens occasionally and affects a minority of young people	19%	19%	19%	18%
Cyberbullying is quite rare and only affects a very small number of young people	3%	3%	2%	1%

Youth – Q9. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

Parents – Q6. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

Among youth:

· Girls and Anglophone youth are more likely to say that cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it. In addition, those who very aware of cyberbullying, or have experienced and/or witnessed it, are more likely to hold this opinion.

· Girls and those without a disability are more likely to hold the opinion that cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people.

· The feeling that cyberbullying is rare or happens only occasionally is more prominent among boys, as well as those who have less awareness of cyberbullying, and have never experienced or witnessed it.

Mothers, Anglophone parents and those who indicate that they are very aware of cyberbullying are more likely to say cyberbullying is almost everywhere. Fathers and parents who are less aware of cyberbullying are more likely to say cyberbullying happens occasionally.

5. Perceptions of more likely cyberbullying victims

Youth and parents continue to believe that victims of cyberbullying are mostly likely to be those perceived as physically unattractive, gay/lesbian, transgender/gender diverse, or are racialized or female. About four in ten youth think that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied.

When asked to consider specific categories of young people who are likely to be victims of cyberbullying, around four in ten youth each list those who are perceived to be physically unattractive or over- or under-weight, and people who are gay or lesbian, or transgender/gender diverse people. Parents are somewhat more likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied. Parents report the same categories as the most likely to be bullied, though slightly less so compared to youth. These results are consistent with those from 2019.

Categories of young people more likely to be victims of cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
People who are perceived to be physically unattractive, over or underweight	44%	43%	37%	35%
People that identify as gay or lesbian	39%	40%	33%	31%
Transgender or gender diverse people	38%	40%	33%	32%
Everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied	37%	41%	43%	49%
People of colour/racialized people	36%	32%	29%	27%
Young women or girls	35%	32%	32%	33%
People with a physical disability	33%	31%	25%	25%
People with a mental illness	32%	32%	25%	27%
People with a learning disability	31%	30%	26%	24%
Young men or boys	16%	14%	16%	13%

Youth – Q10. What specific categories of young people do you think are more likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

Parents – Q7. What specific categories of young people do you think are more likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

Among youth:

· Girls and older youth are more likely than boys and those aged 14-17 to identify almost all of these categories as being more likely to be victims of cyberbullying.

· Youth aged 14-17 are more likely than older youth to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied.

· Youth in high school or who have finished high school are more likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied. Those with a university degree are more likely to think that those who are perceived to be physically unattractive or racialized are more likely to be cyberbullied.

· Those who have witnessed cyberbullying say that transgender/gender diverse people or people with a physical disability are more likely to be cyberbullied. Those who admit to having possibly perpetrated cyberbullying are more likely to identify people with a physical disability or mental illness as being more likely to be cyberbullied.

Mothers and parents aged 35-49 are more likely to say that everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied. This opinion is also prominent among those who say they are very aware of cyberbullying or whose children have not experienced cyberbullying. Fathers and parents with a post-grad education are more likely to identify people who are perceived as physically unattractive to be common victims of cyberbullying. Parents who are university-educated are also more likely to say transgender/gender diverse people, those who identify as gay or lesbian, racialized people and those with a physical disability are more likely to be cyberbullied.

6. Perceptions of legality of cyberbullying

Most youth and parents continue to believe that cyberbullying is at least mostly illegal in Canada.

Two-thirds of youth believe cyberbullying is at least mostly illegal in Canada. This represents a small decline since 2019, as an increasing proportion say they are not sure about the legality of cyberbullying. Three-quarters of parents continue to believe that cyberbullying is at least mostly illegal.

Impression of illegality of cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Cyberbullying is illegal	44%	48%	55%	59%
Cyberbullying is mostly illegal, but it depends on what it consists of	21%	23%	19%	16%
There are no laws against cyberbullying. It is legal.	8%	9%	7%	6%
Don’t know	26%	20%	19%	19%

Youth – Q11. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

Parents – Q8. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

Among youth, those more likely to say that cyberbullying is illegal include:

· Aged 14 to 17 (60%, vs. 33% of those 18 and over)

· Francophones (67% vs. 38% of Anglophones)

· Youth in Quebec (62%)

It is also notable that the belief that cyberbullying is illegal is lower among who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ and those with a disability.

Francophone parents and parents in Quebec are also more likely to say that cyberbullying is illegal.

IV. Experiencing cyberbullying

1. Personal experience

Three in ten youth have ever personally been cyberbullied – unchanged since 2019. Two in ten parents report that any of their children have been cyberbullied.

Three in ten youth continue to report say that they have personally been cyberbullied. Two in ten parents say any of their children have ever been cyberbullied, essentially unchanged from 2019.

Experience being cyberbullied

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Yes	32%	30%	20%	23%
Yes, one of my children has been cyberbullied	–	–	14%	18%
Yes, several of my children have been cyberbullied	–	–	6%	4%
No, never	62%	65%	57%	55%

Youth – Q12. Have you ever personally been cyberbullied?

Parents – Q10. Have any of your own children aged 10 to 24 ever been cyberbullied?

Youth who are mostly likely to have been cyberbullied include:

· Aged 18-21 (38%)

· Anglophones (33% vs. 24% Francophones)

· Youth in B.C. (40%)

· Youth with a disability (54%)

· 2SLGBTQI+ youth (49%)

It is notable that there is no significant difference between boys (32%) and girls (30%) when it comes to ever having been cyberbullied. Parents with children with a disability (38%) are more likely to say their children have been cyberbullied.

2. Age and gender of cyberbullied children

Parents continue to report that their cyberbullied children are younger. Cyberbullied children are now almost as likely to be boys as girls.

Among parents whose child(ren) have been cyberbullied, six in ten say their children were aged 10-13, compared to about one in ten who say they were 18-24. Fewer parents report that their cyberbullied child is 14 to 17 years of age compared to 2019. Children who have been cyberbullied are now almost as likely to be boys (51%) as girls (56%). This marks a significant shift since 2019, when parents were much more likely to report that their daughters had experienced cyberbullying and less likely to report this among their sons.

Age and gender of cyberbullied children

Response	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Age
10-13	61%	64%
14-17	32%	55%
18-24	12%	16%
Gender
Male gender	51%	38%
Female gender	56%	69%
Gender diverse	2%	3%

Parents – Q11A. How old was your child when they were cyberbullied?

Parents – Q11B. How old were each of your children when they were cyberbullied?

Parents – Q11C. What is the gender(s) of your child(ren) who was cyberbullied?

3. Concern about being cyberbullied

Half of youth who have never been cyberbullied continue to be at least somewhat concerned that it could happen to them. Over seven in ten parents are at least somewhat concerned about their children being cyberbullied.

Almost half of all youth who have never personally been cyberbullied are very or somewhat concerned that this could happen to them in the future. Half are not very or not at all concerned, up slightly from 2019.

As was the case in 2019, over seven in ten parents are at least somewhat concerned that their children may be cyberbullied in the future.

Concern about future cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth never cyberbullied (n=504)	2019 Youth never cyberbullied (n=514)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Very concerned	8%	9%	29%	25%
Somewhat concerned	40%	35%	46%	47%
Not very concerned	35%	38%	21%	25%
Not at all concerned	18%	18%	4%	3%

Youth – Q12a. How concerned are you about ever being cyberbullied in the future? Are you…? (ASKED ONLY OF YOUTH WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN CYBERBULLIED)

Parents – Q9. How concerned are you that your own children might ever be cyberbullied? Are you…?

Younger youth aged 14-17 are more likely to be very or somewhat concerned about being cyberbullied in the future (61% vs. 38% of older youth). There are no other significant demographic differences.

Parents who are more likely to be somewhat or very concerned about their children being cyberbullied include those under 35; and those who have kids under 18, kids with a disability, kids who are 2SLGBTQI+ and kids who are racialized.

4. When cyberbullying was last experienced

Most youth who have been cyberbullied experienced it over a year ago, but two in ten have experienced it within the last month. Most parents also report that their children were cyberbullied over a year ago.

Youth who have been cyberbullied were asked when they last experienced it. Two in ten said they have been cyberbullied within the past week or month – up slightly from 2019. Half last experienced it more than a year ago. Half of parents also report that their child was last cyberbullied over a year ago.

Recency of cyberbullying experience

Response	2022 Cyberbullied youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied youth (n=244)	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Within the last week	7%	4%	6%	4%
Within the last month	13%	10%	7%	5%
One month up to three months ago	7%	7%	8%	8%
Three months to a year ago	15%	13%	18%	9%
More than a year ago	51%	57%	49%	60%
Don’t remember	7%	8%	11%	13%

Youth – Q13. When was the last time you were cyberbullied? Was it…?

Parents – Q12. When was the last time any of your children were cyberbullied? Was it…?

Boys and youth 14-17 are more likely to report having been cyberbullied within the last month.

5. How parents found out about their children being cyberbullied

Parents are increasingly finding out from their child about being cyberbullied long after it began or from another source.

Fewer than four in ten parents say they found out about their child being cyberbullied because their child told them about it right away, a decline from 2019. Parents increasingly report that their child eventually told them about the cyberbullying long after it began, or they learned about it from another source and their child never told them about it at all.

How parents found out about children being cyberbullied

Response	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
My child came to me right away and told me about the cyberbullying	37%	49%
My child eventually told me about the cyberbullying long after it began	43%	37%
My child didn’t tell me about the cyberbullying, and I found out about it from another source	20%	12%
Other	1%	2%

Parents – Q13. When your child(ren) was cyberbullied, which of the following best describes how you found out about it?

6. Platforms where youth experienced cyberbullying

Youth are increasingly being cyberbullied on Instagram and are much less likely to be cyberbullied on Facebook than in the past.

There has been a significant drop since 2019 in the extent to which youth report Facebook as the platform where they were bullied. Between two and three in ten identify Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or via text messaging. Fewer than two in ten each mention Discord, e-mail, TikTok, gaming platforms, YouTube or WhatsApp. Parents identify a variety of platforms where their children have been cyberbullied, most commonly Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and text messaging.

Platforms where cyberbullying was experienced

Response	2022 Cyberbullied youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied youth (n=244)	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Instagram	28%	19%	16%	12%
Facebook	26%	46%	23%	41%
Snapchat	22%	17%	17%	16%
Text messaging	21%	29%	15%	29%
Discord	12%	4%	6%	–
E-mail	8%	6%	11%	10%
TikTok	8%	*	9%	*
Gaming platforms, such as Xbox Live, PlayStation or Steam	–	–	10%	12%
Xbox Live	7%	4%	–	–
Twitter	6%	7%	3%	7%
WhatsApp	6%	5%	5%	4%
YouTube	5%	4%	1%	7%
PlayStation Network	4%	5%	–	–
Somewhere else	13%	9%	10%	10%
I don’t know	–	–	16%	12%

Youth – Q14. Where have you been cyberbullied?

Parents – Q14. As far as you know, where or on what platform was your child(ren) cyberbullied?

*Note: Not asked in 2019

· Girls are more likely to report being cyberbullied on Snapchat or through text messages. Boys are more likely than girls to mention Discord and Xbox Live.

· Youth over 21 are more likely to mention Facebook, while those aged 18-21 are more likely to mention Instagram.

· Those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ are more likely to mention Snapchat. White youth are more likely than racialized youth to mention text messaging.

7. Type of cyberbullying experienced

The most common types of cyberbullying continue to involve name-calling and negative comments about physical appearance. Youth are increasingly experiencing physically threatening messages, and negative comments about mental illness or race/ethnicity.

Youth who were cyberbullied are still more likely to experience name-calling, followed by negative comments about physical appearance, physically threatening messages and sexually explicit messages. Other less common forms of cyberbullying include negative comments about mental illness, race or ethnicity, private information posted publicly, and negative comments about sexual orientation, gender identity, and learning or physical disabilities. It is notable that there has been a decline since 2019 in the extent to which youth are reporting name-calling and negative comments about their physical appearance, while there have been increases in reports of negative comments about mental illness, race/ethnicity, gender identity and learning disabilities.

Parents report that their children encountered similar types of cyberbullying as those reported by youth themselves; and they also show an increase in experiences of sexually explicit cyberbullying.

Types of cyberbullying experienced

Response	2022 Cyberbullied youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied youth (n=244)	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Name-calling	58%	69%	62%	67%
Negative comments about physical appearance	36%	45%	34%	31%
Physically threatening messages	29%	24%	23%	24%
Sexually explicit messages	22%	21%	24%	15%
Negative comments about mental illness	18%	10%	13%	12%
Negative comments about race or ethnicity	18%	9%	12%	14%
Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly	11%	9%	8%	7%
Negative comments about sexual orientation	10%	12%	10%	8%
Negative comments about gender identity	10%	6%	10%	7%
Negative comments about learning disability	10%	4%	11%	11%
Negative comments about physical disability	8%	6%	9%	4%
Other	3%	4%	9%	7%

Youth – Q15. When you were cyberbullied, which of the following did you experience?

Parents – Q15. When your child(ren) were cyberbullied, which of the following did they experience?

Among youth:

· Girls are more likely than boys to say they experienced negative comments about their physical appearance and sexually explicit messages. Boys are more likely than girls to have experienced negative comments about their race or ethnicity.

· Older youth (aged 18+) are more likely to say they received physically threatening messages and private information posted publicly.

· Youth who identify as racialized are more likely to mention negative comments about their race/ethnicity or private information posted publicly.

· Youth who identify as having a mental disability are more likely to encounter negative comments about their physical appearance, mental illness or gender identity. Those with a physical disability are more likely to experience negative comments about their disability, as well as physically threatening messages.

· Youth who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ are more likely to say they encounter sexually explicit messages, negative comments about their mental illness, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Among parents, those who have daughters and/or gender diverse children, or children with a physical disability, are more likely to say that their children received negative comments about their physical appearance.

8. Relationship to cyberbully

Cyberbullied youth continue to report that the top perpetrators were someone from school, a current or former friend, or an anonymous person.

Four in ten youth who were cyberbullied say that perpetrator was someone from school. Three in ten say the person was anonymous or a friend/former friend. Youth who have been cyberbullied are now somewhat less likely to report that the person was a friend/former friend or a current/past romantic partner.

Relationship to person(s) who cyberbullied

Response	2022 Cyberbullied Youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied Youth (n=244)
Someone from school	39%	43%
Person was anonymous	31%	29%
Friend/former friend	30%	38%
Someone I knew online	21%	17%
Acquaintance	14%	15%
Current or past romantic partner	7%	11%
Family member	4%	4%
Someone I work with	4%	2%
Other	2%	2%

Youth – Q16. What relationship did you have with the person(s) who cyberbullied you?

Girls are more likely than boys to report being cyberbullied by someone from school (47% vs. 32%). Boys are more likely than girls to have been cyberbullied by an online acquaintance (26% vs. 17%). Racialized youth are more likely to report being cyberbullied anonymously (40%).

9. Emotional impact of cyberbullying

Just over half of youth who have been cyberbullied say it was a very hurtful experience; and three-quarters of parents say it was a very hurtful experience both for their child and for themselves.

When asked how hurtful being cyberbullied was, on a scale where zero means not at all hurtful, and 10 means very hurtful, just over half of youth and three-quarters of parents rated it very hurtful (from 7-10). There has been no significant change since 2019 in the extent to which youth say being cyberbullied was very hurtful, and a slight decrease in the extent to which parents say the experience was very hurtful to their child.

Girls are much more likely to say being cyberbullied was a very hurtful experience (61% vs. 45% among boys). Youth living in B.C. (67%) and the Prairies (67%) are also more likely to rate the experience of being cyberbullied as very hurtful.

Hurtfulness of being cyberbullied

Response	2022 Cyberbullied youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied youth (n=244)	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Very hurtful experience (7-10)	53%	50%	75%	85%
Middling (4-6)	28%	31%	20%	13%
Didn’t bother you (0-3)	18%	19%	5%	2%
Average	6.3	6.2	7.9	8.2

Youth – Q17. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn’t really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was a very hurtful experience that really shook you up, how would you say being cyberbullied affected you?

Parents – Q17. How would you say being cyberbullied affected your child(ren)? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn’t really bother your child at all and they just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was very hurtful experience that really shook your child up?

As was the case in 2019, the vast majority of parents say that their children being cyberbullied was a very hurtful experience for themselves as parents.

Impact of cyberbullying on parents

Response	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Very hurtful experience (7-10)	76%	82%
Middling (4-6)	19%	13%
Didn’t bother you (0-3)	5%	5%
Average	7.9	7.8

Parents – Q16. How would you say your child(ren) being cyberbullied affected you personally? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn’t really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was very hurtful experience that really shook you up.

Mothers and those with daughters describe the experience of their children being cyberbullied as being more hurtful, to both themselves and their children, than do fathers.

10. Actions taken in response to being cyberbullied

Youth continue to respond to cyberbullying by blocking the bully, or talking to a friend or parent about it. They are much less likely to ignore it and take no action. Parents of kids who have been cyberbullied continue to be most likely to respond by talking to their kids and being supportive.

When youth are cyberbullied, they say they most commonly respond by blocking the perpetrator, talking to a friend or to a parent about it, or directly confronting the cyberbully. Two in ten say they ignored it and did nothing, a significant decline since 2019. Youth are less likely to respond by talking to a teacher/school authority, reporting the incident to a site, going online to find out what to do, contacting police, learning about website and privacy settings, or reporting it to an employer.

Girls who were cyberbullied are more likely to have talked to a friend about it, while boys are more likely to say they ignored it or did nothing. Younger youth aged 14-17 are more likely to say they talked to a parent or school authority about it. Older youth aged 22-24 are more likely to talk to a friend, or to ignore it and do nothing.

Actions taken by youth in response to cyberbullying

Response	2022 Cyberbullied Youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied Youth (n=244)
Blocked the cyberbully	37%	38%
Talked to a friend about it	26%	28%
Talked to a parent about it	25%	28%
Directly confronted the cyberbully	20%	19%
Ignored it and did nothing	19%	29%
Kept records of the incidents	14%	13%
Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it	12%	15%
Reported incidents to site	9%	10%
Went online to try to find out what I ought to do	4%	4%
Learned about website and app privacy settings	4%	7%
Contacted police	3%	6%
Reported it to my employer or to human resources	2%	2%
Other	1%	1%

Youth – Q18. What did you do in response to being cyberbullied, if anything?

When asked what they did in response to their child(ren) being cyberbullied, most parents say that they talked to their child about it and tried to be supportive. A smaller proportion of around three in ten say they talked to a teacher or school authorities, showed their child how to block the cyberbully and/or kept records of the incidents.

Actions taken by parents in response to cyberbullying

Response	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=124)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
Tried to talk to my child about it and tried to be supportive	73%	71%
Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it	31%	37%
Showed my child how to block the cyberbully	31%	40%
Kept records of the incidents	25%	25%
Talked to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully	16%	24%
Reported incidents to site	15%	14%
Directly confronted the cyberbully	14%	16%
Learned about website and app privacy settings	14%	15%
Contacted police	14%	11%
Went online to try to find out what I ought to do	14%	10%
Took away their phone/tablet or computer or restricted access to it	7%	8%
I did nothing in response	4%	1%
Other	4%	1%

Parents – Q18. What did you do in response to your child being cyberbullied, if anything?

11. Impact of taking action against cyberbullying

Most youth and parents say the cyberbullying stopped after they took action, similar to 2019.

Most youth and parents say that the cyberbullying stopped in response to their actions. Fewer than one-quarter say the cyberbullying continued or got worse; these findings are essentially unchanged from 2019.

Response of cyberbully to actions

Response	2022 Cyberbullied youth (n=254)	2019 Cyberbullied youth (n=244)	2022 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=122)	2019 Parents of cyberbullied youth (n=136)
The cyberbullying stopped	67%	66%	75%	73%
The cyberbullying continued as before	20%	22%	17%	16%
The cyberbullying got worse	3%	4%	5%	4%

Youth – Q19. What happened after you took these steps in response to being cyberbullied?

Parents – Q19. What happened after you took these steps in response to your child being cyberbullied?

V. Witnessing cyberbullying

1. Witnessed cyberbullying directed at others

Four in ten youth and two in ten parents have witnessed cyberbullying directed at others.

About four in ten youth have ever witnessed cyberbullying directed at someone else, essentially unchanged from three years ago. About two in ten parents report having witnessed cyberbullying aimed at young people other than their own children, down somewhat from 2019.

Witnessed cyberbullying directed at someone else

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Yes	42%	43%	22%	28%
No	54%	54%	75%	70%

Youth – Q20. In the past year, have you ever witnessed any cyberbullying that was not directed at you? (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to someone else)?

Parents – Q20. In the past year, have you ever witnessed any cyberbullying that was directed at young people other than your own children? (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to another kid)?

Among youth, those who are more likely to report having witnessed cyberbullying include those living in the Prairie provinces (49%) and BC (50%), those who are online hourly or more (48%), those living with a disability (57%), those who are 2SLGBTQI+ (62%) and those who have been cyberbullied themselves (64%).

Parents with higher incomes and levels of education are somewhat more likely to say they have witnessed cyberbullying.

2. Relationship to person witnessed being cyberbullied

Youth most often witnessed cyberbullying happening to a friend or someone at school, though reports of the latter have declined since 2019. Parents have mostly seen it happen to friends of their children or children of friends.

Youth who have witnessed someone being cyberbullied most frequently report that it happened to a friend or former friend, or to someone at school or someone they knew online. Two in ten say they witnessed it happening to someone they did not know at all. Youth are less likely to have witnessed someone they know from school being cyberbullied than was the case in 2019.

Youths’ relationship to person being cyberbullied

Response	2022 Youth witnessing cyberbullying (n=343)	2019 Youth witnessing cyberbullying (n=354)
Friend/former friend	29%	30%
Someone at school	28%	39%
Someone I knew online	25%	21%
Person was anonymous	20%	17%
Acquaintance	18%	18%
Family member	8%	6%
Current or past romantic partner	4%	3%
Someone I work with	4%	7%
A stranger/someone on social media thread	–	3%
Public personality/celebrity	–	1%
Other	2%	1%

Youth – Q21. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

Boys and youth aged 14-17 are more likely to have witnessed cyberbullying happen to a current or former friend, or to someone at school. Older youth aged 22-24 are more likely to say they witnessed it happening to an online acquaintance. 2SLGBTQI+ youth are more likely to have witnessed it happening to an anonymous individual or online acquaintance.

Among parents who witnessed a young person other than their child being cyberbullied, one-quarter saw it happen to a friend of one of their children, a child of one of their friends or another child at their kids’ school.

Parents’ relationship to person being cyberbullied

Response	2022 Parents who have witnessed cyberbullying (n=133)	2019 Parents who have witnessed cyberbullying (n=169)
Friend of one of my children	25%	21%
Child of one of my friends	25%	27%
Child at my kids’ school	23%	20%
Child I’m related to (e.g. niece, nephew)	12%	7%
Child in my neighbourhood	11%	14%
Learned about it from the media/on the news	7%	9%
At school where I teach	5%	6%
Co-worker	3%	2%
Other	3%	1%

Parents – Q21. What relationship did you have to the young person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

3. Type of cyberbullying witnessed

Youth continue to witness cyberbullying that involves name-calling or negative comments about physical appearance; however, they are increasingly also witnessing physically threatening messages.

When reflecting on when they witnessed someone being cyberbullied, seven in ten youth say it involved name-calling. Four in ten say it involved negative comments about physical appearance, and three in ten say it involved physically threatening messages. Two in ten have witnessed sexually explicit messages, and negative comments about sexual orientation, race/ethnicity or gender identity. Smaller proportions mention negative comments about mental illness and other disabilities. These results are mostly consistent with the 2019 study, except that reports of physically threatening messages have gone up substantially.

What was involved in cyberbullying witnessed

Response	2022 Youth witnessing cyberbullying (n=343)	2019 Youth witnessing cyberbullying (n=354)
Name-calling	70%	71%
Negative comments about physical appearance	39%	45%
Physically threatening messages	31%	20%
Negative comments about sexual orientation	22%	22%
Negative comments about race or ethnicity	22%	24%
Sexually explicit messages	20%	20%
Negative comments about gender identity	18%	16%
Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly	16%	18%
Negative comments about mental illness	13%	13%
Negative comments about a learning disability	9%	10%
Negative comments about a physical disability	8%	6%
Other	1%	2%

Youth – Q22. As far as you know, what was involved in the cyberbullying you witnessed?

Girls are more likely than boys to have witnessed negative comments about physical appearance, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, or private information posted publicly.

4. Action taken after witnessing cyberbullying

Youth who have witnessed cyberbullying most commonly respond by talking to and supporting the victim, or talking to friends about it. Parents were more likely to take the opportunity to talk to their own child about cyberbullying.

After witnessing or hearing about someone being cyberbullied, three in ten youth talked to the victim and tried to be supportive, and a similar proportion talked to friends about it. Around two in ten ignored it and did nothing, or talked to a parent about it. One in ten or fewer say they took actions such as learning about website/app privacy settings; learning what to do online; or reporting it online, to an employer or to police. The most notable change since 2019 is a decline in the proportion that responded by talking to the victim and being supportive.

Younger youth who witnessed cyberbullying are more likely to have talked to friends, a parent or a teacher about it. Older youth are more likely to have ignored it and done nothing.

Actions taken by youth who witnessed cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth witnessing cyberbullying (n=343)	2019 Youth witnessing cyberbullying (n=354)
Talked to the victim and tried to be supportive	29%	40%
Talked to friends about it	28%	34%
Ignored it and did nothing	22%	21%
Talked to a parent about it	19%	19%
Directly confronted the cyberbully	14%	9%
Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it	12%	11%
Learned about website and app privacy settings	11%	10%
Went online to try to find out what I ought to do	8%	7%
Reported it online	–	3%
Reported it to my employer or to human resources	4%	2%
Contacted police	2%	1%
Other	3%	*%

Youth – Q23. When you witnessed or heard about someone being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

Parents who witnessed cyberbullying were, again, more likely to react by talking to their own child about cyberbullying or, to a lesser extent, talk to the child who was bullied and tried to be supportive.

Actions taken by parents who witnessed cyberbullying

Response	2022 Parents who have witnessed cyberbullying (n=133)	2019 Parents who have witnessed cyberbullying (n=169)
Talked to my own child about cyberbullying	47%	49%
Talked to the child about it and tried to be supportive	27%	23%
Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it	20%	16%
I did nothing in response	14%	9%
Showed the child how to block the cyberbully	12%	11%
Learned about website and app privacy settings	12%	8%
Kept records of the incidents	11%	9%
Talked to/confronted parents of the cyberbully	9%	8%
Went online to try to find out what I ought to do	9%	7%
Contacted police	8%	8%
Directly confronted the cyberbully	7%	5%
Reported incidents to site	6%	9%
Talked to the parents of the cyberbullied	3%	6%
Other	2%	2%

Parents – Q22. When you witnessed or heard about someone being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

VI. Perpetrating cyberbullying

1. Frequency of reported perpetration of cyberbullying

One in ten youth continue to admit to having cyberbullied someone or to having been accused of cyberbullying.

One in ten youth admit to cyberbullying or acting in a way that could be considered cyberbullying, or say that they were accused of cyberbullying. Four percent of parents say that, as far as they know, their child has been a cyberbully.

Perpetrating cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Yes	11%	8%	4%	4%
No	85%	87%	81%	81%

Youth – Q24. Have you ever personally done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where you were accused of cyberbullying?

Parents – Q24. As far as you know, have any of your children ever done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where they were accused of cyberbullying?

Youth who are more likely to say they may have done something to someone online that may be considered cyberbullying include boys, those aged 18 or older, and those with a disability or who are 2SLGBTQI+. It is also notable that youth who have been cyberbullied themselves, or who have witnessed cyberbullying, are also more likely to consider themselves potential perpetrators of cyberbullying at some point.

2. Concern about children committing cyberbullying

Just under four in ten parents are at least somewhat concerned that their child might cyberbully someone in the future.

Parents are directionally more concerned about their child(ren) doing something online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying, compared to 2019. Just under four in ten say they are very or somewhat concerned. Just over six in ten are not very or not at all concerned.

Concern over child cyberbullying in future

Response	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Very concerned	12%	10%
Somewhat concerned	25%	24%
Not very concerned	33%	38%
Not at all concerned	30%	28%

Parents – Q23. How concerned are you that one of your own children might ever do something to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying? Are you…?

Parents who are mostly likely to be concerned that their own children might ever do something considered to by cyberbullying include fathers, younger parents, those with lower incomes, parents of younger children, those whose children have been cyberbullied, parents of children with a disability and parents of racialized children.

3. Relationship to victim

Though reported somewhat less than in 2019, those who may have cyberbullied are likely to have done it to a friend/former friend or someone from school. Parents are most likely to say it was someone from school.

Among youth who say they may have cyberbullied someone, three in ten say it was a friend/former friend and one-quarter say it was someone from school. Two in ten each say it was someone they know online or an acquaintance. Fewer say that the person they cyberbullied was anonymous, a family member, a current or past romantic partner, or someone they work with. Parents who say their child may have cyberbullied someone report similar patterns; however, parents are much more likely to identify someone from school.

Relationship to cyberbullying victim

Response	2022 Youth who have perpetrated cyberbullying (n=85)	2019 Youth who have perpetrated cyberbullying (n=65)	2022 Parents of cyberbullies (n=22)	2019 Parents of cyberbullies (n=23)
Friend/former friend	31%	38%	28%	43%
Someone from school	24%	48%	43%	57%
Someone known online	20%	14%	18%	17%
Acquaintance	19%	13%	14%	9%
Person was anonymous	16%	20%	20%	13%
Family member	11%	7%	18%	13%
Current or past romantic partner	7%	8%	19%	13%
Someone they work with	2%	9%	18%	9%

Youth – Q25. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you may have cyberbullied?

Parents – Q25. What relationship did your child have to the person(s) who you may have cyberbullied?

4. Why did they do it?

The most common reasons for cyberbullying is that the person they bullied started it/is a bad person or out of anger.

Youth who committed cyberbullying provided a range of reasons as to why they cyberbullied, with three in ten saying the person they bullied started it/is a bad person. Other reasons include out of anger, thinking it was funny, and not knowing better at the time.

Reasons for committing cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=85)	2019 Youth (n=65)
They are bad people/they are cyberbullies/they started it	28%	–
Out of anger/in response to people being mean	14%	21%
Thought it was funny/was not meant to be mean	12%	17%
Didn't know any better at the time/didn't realize what I said would be as harmful	10%	15%
Other	5%	9%

Youth – Q26. Thinking about this incident where you may have cyberbullied someone, why did you do it?

Parents who say their child may have committed cyberbullying are more likely to say that they confronted the child or disciplined them, or restricted the child’s access to phones or the internet.

Actions taken by parents in response to their child cyberbullying

Response	2022 Parents (n=22)	2019 Parents (n=23)
Confronted my child/disciplined him/her	30%	39%
Took away my child's phone/restricted the access to internet	12%	17%
Other	14%	35%

Parents – Q26. Thinking about this incident where your child may have cyberbullied someone, what, if anything did you do about it?

VII. Responding to cyberbullying

1. Preferred response to cyberbullying

Parents would more likely to talk to their child and be supportive, show them how to block bullies and keep records of the incidents. Youth would more likely block the cyberbully or ignore the incident.

When youth are asked what they would do in a hypothetical situation if they were being cyberbullied now, they are more likely to say they would block the cyberbully, or ignore it and not respond. Significant proportions would also talk to a parent or friend about it, or keep records of the incidents. Smaller proportions would talk to a teacher about it, directly confront the cyberbully, learn about privacy settings, contact the police, go online to find out what to do or report it to their employer. Ten percent say they would not know what to do. Responses this this question are largely the same as those found in 2019.

When parents are asked what they would do if their child was cyberbullied, over half say they would talk to their child and try to be supportive, keep records of the incidents or show their child how to block the cyberbully. Significant proportions would also report the incident to the website involved, report it to the police, talk to a teacher or school authority about it, learn about privacy settings, talk to the parents of the cyberbully, directly confront the cyberbully, or go online to find out what to do. Just three percent would not know what to do, and just one percent would ignore it and not respond at all.

Responses to cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
I’d talk to my child about it and try to be supportive	–	–	67%	66%
Block the cyberbully	47%	53%	–	–
Show my child how to block the cyberbully	–	–	53%	52%
Ignore it and not respond	44%	43%	1%	1%
Talk to a parent about it	30%	32%	–	–
Keep records of incidents	26%	35%	59%	60%
Talk to a friend about it	26%	35%	–	–
Report it to the site where it happened	20%	27%	45%	51%
Talk to a teacher or school authorities about it	14%	17%	43%	40%
Directly confronted the cyberbully	13%	17%	18%	18%
Learn about website and app privacy settings	10%	13%	29%	27%
Talk to/confront parents of cyberbully	–	–	28%	27%
I would not know how to respond or what to do	10%	8%	3%	3%
Contact the police to report it	9%	11%	44%	51%
Go online to find out what I ought to do	7%	7%	26%	25%
Take away my child’s phone, tablet or computer or restrict access to it	–	–	7%	–
Report it to an employer or to human resources	6%	12%	–	–
Other	1%	1%	1%	1%
None of these	2%	1%	–	–

Youth – Q27. If you were being cyberbullied now, how do you think you would respond?

Parents – Q27. If one of your children were being cyberbullied, how would you respond?

Among youth:

· Girls are more likely than boys to say they would block the cyberbully, keep records of incidents, talk to a friend, report it to the site or learn about website/app privacy settings.

· Youth under 18 and those who are still in high school are more likely to say they would talk to a parent, or teacher or school authority about it; while youth aged 18 and older are more likely to say they would ignore it and not respond, and youth aged 20-24 are more likely to report it to the site where it happened.

· Anglophones are more likely to ignore it and not respond, or report it to the site where it happened. Francophones are less likely to ignore it and more likely to keep records of incidents.

2. General attitudes toward cyberbullying

Parents and youth remain concerned that cyberbullying is a growing problem that is not taken seriously enough and that cyberbullies get away with it. There has been a decline since 2019 in the extent to which youth are confident that taking steps or reporting cyberbullying would make it go away.

Close to nine in ten youth agree that cyberbullying is a growing problem, and that most people who are cyberbullies get away with it. They are also very likely to think that we (as a society) do not take the issue seriously enough. Since 2019, youth are somewhat less confident that, if they reported cyberbullying, the problem would go away or be taken seriously. Parents’ agreement is in line with their youthful counterparts, and consistent with 2019.

Perceptions of cyberbullying – Youth

Respondents saying strongly or somewhat agree	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)
Cyberbullying is a growing problem and that can have long-term consequences for victims	86%	89%
Most people who are cyberbullies get away with it	85%	84%
We do not take cyberbullying seriously enough	75%	78%
If I was being cyberbullied, I’d feel very comfortable discussing it with my parents	64%	66%
If I was being cyberbullied and took steps to deal with it, I’m confident the problem would go away.	57%	64%
If I reported cyberbullying to the authorities, I’m confident they’d take it very seriously	43%	51%
If I was being cyberbullied, I’d feel very comfortable discussing it with my teachers	43%	48%

Youth – Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?

Among youth:

· Girls and youth aged 14-17 are more likely to think that cyberbullying is a growing problem that can have long-term consequences for victims. This is also the opinion of those who are very aware of cyberbullying, have witnessed cyberbullying, and not done anything that might be considered to be cyberbullying.

· Boys and youth under 18 are more confident that if they take steps to deal with cyberbullying, the problem would go away, that a report would be taken seriously by authorities, and would be comfortable discussing it with teachers. Those under 18 are also more likely to be comfortable talking to parents.

· Compared to Anglophones, Francophones are more comfortable discussing being cyberbullied with their parents, and are more likely to trust authorities to take it seriously if they reported it.

· Youth living in Quebec and the Prairies are more likely to feel comfortable discussing it with their parents than youth other regions in Canada.

· Compared to those who have not experienced cyberbullying, those who have experienced it are more likely to say they would be comfortable discussing it with their parents; that, if they take the steps to deal with it, the problem would go away; and that the authorities would take it very seriously.

· Youth who have witnessed cyberbullying are more likely to agree that it is a growing problem, and that most people get away with it and that we do not take cyberbullying seriously enough.

· Youth without a disability are more likely to feel comfortable discussing with parents than those with a disability.

Perceptions of cyberbullying – Parents

Respondents saying strongly or somewhat agree	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Cyberbullying is a growing problem and that can have long-term consequences for victims	95%	94%
Most people who are cyberbullies get away with it	87%	84%
Parents do not have enough information on how to deal with cyberbullying when it happens	84%	81%
We do not take cyberbullying seriously enough	84%	79%
If my child was being cyberbullied, they would probably talk to their friends about it before they would talk to me	66%	65%
If I reported cyberbullying to the authorities, I’m confident they’d take it very seriously	61%	65%
If my child was being cyberbullied and took steps to deal with it, I’m confident the problem would go away.	51%	50%

Parents – Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?

Among parents, fathers are more likely to be confident the problem would go away if their child took steps to deal with it. Fathers are also more likely to think their child would talk about being cyberbullied to their friends first, before them.

3. Awareness of resources about cyberbullying

The vast majority of parents and youth continue to be unaware of any specific helplines or websites to turn to for support on cyberbullying.

As was the case in 2019, close to nine in ten youth and over nine in ten parents are not aware of any specific helplines or websites that offer support for those who have been cyberbullied. Among the small minority who are aware of any helplines or websites, some mention Kids Help Phone, the police, bullyingcanada.ca and Tel-jeune.

Resources about cyberbullying

Response	2022 Youth (n=809)	2019 Youth (n=800)	2022 Parents (n=603)	2019 Parents (n=600)
Kids Help Phone	5%	8%	3%	3%
Police	1%	–	1%	2%
bullyingcanada.ca	–	1%	1%	<1%
Tel-jeune	1%	1%	1%	<1%
Other	1%	2%	1%	2%
No, I don’t know of any specific help lines or websites	89%	85%	94%	92%

Youth – Q29. If you or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?

Parents – Q29. If your child or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?

There are no significant demographic differences among youth or parents in terms of awareness of any help lines or websites. It is notable that youth who have been cyberbullied and parents whose children have been cyberbullied are no more likely to be aware of these supports than those who have not experienced cyberbullying.

Appendix A: Methodology

This research consisted of two online surveys. The first was conducted among Canadian youth aged 14 to 24, with a total sample of 809 respondents. The second survey was conducted among parents of youth aged 10 to 24 and had a total sample of 603 respondents.

Survey respondents were selected from registered members of an online panel. Since the samples used in online panel surveys are based on self-selection and are not a random probability sample, no formal estimates of sampling error can be calculated. Although opt-in panels are not random probability samples, online surveys can be used for general population surveys provided they are well designed and employ a large, well-maintained panel.

Sample design and weighting

Environics Research conducted online surveys of Canadians who are members of an online panel, from September 29 to October 7, 2022. The sampling method was designed to complete interviews with 800 Canadians aged 14-24 and 600 interviews with parents of children aged 10 to 24. Quotas and weights were set by age, gender, and region.

To get feedback from younger respondents, invitations were sent to panellists profiled as parents, who were asked for permission to have their children aged 17 and younger complete the survey themselves.

The following distribution of interviews was achieved:

Target group	Target (quota)	Actual Unweighted	Actual Weighted
Youth aged 14-24 years old	800	809	809
14-17 years old	300	308	308
18-21 years old	250	250	250
22-24 years old	250	251	251
Parents of children aged 10-24 years old	600	603	603
Atlantic Canada	40	42	42
Quebec	140	145	145
Ontario	230	229	229
Prairies	110	109	109
B.C.	80	78	78

*Results are weighted by region, gender and age to 2016 Census data.

Questionnaire design

Environics worked with PS to develop two 10-minute online questionnaires that were largely based on the questionnaires that were used in the baseline survey conducted in 2019. By maintaining consistency in the questionnaires, we can measure changes in levels of awareness, opinions, attitudes and behaviours on the subject of cyberbullying and compare results from the previous public awareness research report. Upon approval of the English questionnaires, Environics arranged for any new questions to be translated into French by professional translators and for French versions of the questionnaires to be created.

Environics’ data analysts programmed the questionnaires, then performed thorough testing to ensure accuracy in set-up and data collection. This validation ensured that the data entry process conformed to the surveys’ basic logic. The data collection system handles sampling invitations, quotas and questionnaire completion (skip patterns, branching, and valid ranges).

The final survey questionnaire is included in Appendix B.

Fieldwork

The survey was conducted by Environics using a secure, fully featured web-based survey environment. The interviews took place from September 29 to October 7, 2022. The median interview length was 10 minutes.

All respondents were offered the opportunity to complete the surveys in their official language of choice. All research work was conducted in accordance with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research – Online Surveys and recognized industry standards, as well as applicable federal legislation (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA).

The data from this survey are statistically weighted to ensure the sample is as representative of this population as possible according to the most recently available Census information.

Completion results

The completion results are presented in the following table.

Contact disposition

Disposition	Youth	Parents
Total invitations (c)	28,455	9,117
Total completes (d)	809	603
Qualified break-offs (e)	473	95
Disqualified (f)	733	155
Not responded (g)	25,446	7,708
Quota filled (h)	994	556
Contact rate = (d+e+f+h)/c	11%	15%
Participation rate = (d+f+h)/c	9%	14%

Respondent profile

The following table presents the weighted distribution of survey participants by key demographic and other variables.

Youth	Total sample %
Age
14-17	38
18-21	31
22-24	31
Gender
Female	50
Male	49
Other	1
Education
In high school	35
High school	30
College/tech	15
University	18
Working
Full-time	19
Part-time	40
Not working	41
Language
English	80
French	20
Parents	Total sample %
Age
Under 35	2
35-49	44
50+	54
Gender
Female	50
Male	50
Other	<1%
Education
High school or less	10
College/tech	38
University	50
Household income
Under $40,000	6
$40,000-$100,000	31
Over $100,000	50
Language
English	77
French	23

Appendix B: Quantitative research instruments

I. Youth Questionnaire

Landing Page

Please select your preferred language for completing the survey / SVP choisissez votre langue préférée pour remplir le sondage.

1 English / Anglais

2 Français / French

The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation.

Introduction

Welcome to this survey about young Canadians’ online experiences, including cyberbullying. This survey is intended for persons aged 14 to 24 years old. Environics Research, an independent research company, is conducting this survey on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Your participation is voluntary, and your answers will remain anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

The survey is best completed on a computer or a tablet. If you are completing this survey on a smart phone, please turn the device to landscape (horizontal/sideways) mode so that all questions display correctly.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact NAME of Environics Research at firstname.lastname@environics.ca.

Please click on >> to continue.

Section 1: Screening

D1. How old are you?

Numeric dropdown (<10 to >80).

IF D1 is between 14 and 24, GO TO D2.

IF D1 less than 14, TERMINATE AND THANK

IF D1 more than 24, THANK AND REDIRECT TO SCREENING FOR PARENTS SURVEY

D2. What is your gender?

1 Male gender

2 Female gender

3 Gender diverse

4 Prefer not to say

D3. What province or territory do you live in?

Province/territory drop-down list

D4. To ensure we include people from all parts of Canada, what are the first three characters of your postal code?

FSA open end

Section 2: Safety

Q1. To what extent do you personally feel safe in each of these places?

Randomize. Carousel.

A At school

B At home

C In your workplace

D While online

E Walking alone in your neighbourhood

1 Not at all safe

2 Not very safe

3 Somewhat safe

4 Very safe

9 Does not apply

Section 3: Technology

Q2. About how many hours a day would you say that you spend online?

Numeric open end: hours

Q3. How often do you use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?

1 Hourly or more often/constantly

2 Several times a day

3 About once a day

4 A few times a week

5 Once a week or less

6 Never

Q4. Which of the following online social media sites or apps have you used in the last week?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Facebook

2 WhatsApp

3 Instagram

4 Snapchat

5 Twitter

6 YouTube

7 Twitch

8 Discord

9 Reddit

10 Xbox Live

11 PlayStation Network

12 Text messaging

13 E-mail

14 Other (specify) Anchor

15 I don’t use any of these sites or apps Anchor. Exclusive

Q5. To what extent have each of the following online social activities (such as chatting with friends, gaming, and using social media), been a positive or negative experience for you?

Randomize. Carousel.

A Gaming

B Using social media

C Texting and messaging

Rotate scale

1 Totally positive

2 Mostly positive

3 An equal mix of positive and negative

4 Mostly negative

5 Totally negative

9 Does not apply/never do it

Section 4: Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Now some questions about the issue of cyberbullying. In this survey “cyberbullying” refers to the use of computers, smart phones, and other devices to embarrass, harass, threaten, torment, or humiliate someone.

Cyberbullying includes:

Teasing, name-calling, flaming or bashing individuals
Spreading rumours, private information (including intimate pictures), or fake information online
Harassment, threatening messages, stalking, or pretending to be someone

Q6. How aware would you say you are of “cyberbullying”? Are you?

Rotate scale

1 Very aware

2 Somewhat aware

3 Not very aware

4 Have never heard of it before SKIP TO Q. 8

Q7. Where and how have you learned about cyberbullying?

Select all that apply.

Randomize.

1 From personally experiencing cyberbullying

2 From friends or people I know online who have been cyberbullied

3 From school or teachers

4 From ads or public service announcements about it

5 From news stories about it

6 From my parents

7 Other (specify) Anchor

ASK ALL

Q8. How much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people in Canada?

Insert horizontal scale. Rotate scale.

0 = Cyberbullying is not much of a problem at all

10 = Cyberbullying is an extremely serious problem

Q9. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

Rotate scale

1 Cyberbullying is quite rare and only affects a very small number of young people

2 Cyberbullying happens occasionally and affects a minority of young people

3 Cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people

4 Cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it

Q10. What specific categories of young people do you think are more likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Young men or boys

2 Young women or girls

3 Transgender or gender diverse people

4 People that identify as gay or lesbian

5 People who are physically unattractive, over or underweight

6 People of colour/racialized people

7 People with a learning disability

8 People with a mental illness

9 People with a physical disability

10 Other types of people (specify) Anchor

11 Everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied Anchor. Exclusive

Q11. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

1 Cyberbullying is illegal

2 Cyberbullying is mostly illegal, but it depends on what it consists of

3 There are no laws against cyberbullying. It is legal.

9 Don’t know

Section 5: Experiencing Cyberbullying

Q12. Have you ever personally been cyberbullied?

1 Yes, I have SKIP TO Q13

2 No, never Ask Q 12a, then Skip to Section 6

9 Prefer not to say Ask Q 12a, then Skip to Section 6

Q12a. How concerned are you about ever being cyberbullied in the future? Are you…?

1 Very concerned

2 Somewhat concerned

3 Not very concerned

4 Not at all concerned

Q13. When was the last time you were cyberbullied? Was it…?

1 Within the last week

2 Within the last month

3 One month up to three months ago

4 Three months to a year ago

5 More than a year ago

9 Don’t remember

Q14. Where have you been cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Facebook

2 WhatsApp

3 Instagram

4 Snapchat

5 Twitter

6 YouTube

7 Twitch

8 Discord

9 Reddit

10 Xbox Live

11 PlayStation Network

12 Text messaging

13 E-mail

14 Somewhere else (specify) Anchor

Q15. When you were cyberbullied, which of the following did you experience?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Name-calling

2 Physically threatening messages

3 Sexually explicit messages

4 Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly

5 Negative comments about your race or ethnicity

6 Negative comments about your sexual orientation

7 Negative comments about your gender identity

8 Negative comments about your physical appearance

9 Negative comments about your learning disability

10 Negative comments about your mental illness

11 Negative comments about your physical disability

98 Other (specify) Anchor

99 Prefer not to say Anchor

Q16. What relationship did you have with the person(s) who cyberbullied you?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Friend/former friend

2 Acquaintance

3 Family member

4 Person was anonymous

5 Someone I knew online

6 Current or past romantic partner

7 Someone from school

8 Someone I work with

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q17. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullying didn’t really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullying was a very hurtful experience that really shook you up, how would you say being cyberbullied affected you?

Insert scale. Rotate scale.

0 = Didn’t bother you at all

10 = Very hurtful experience

Q18. What did you do in response to being cyberbullied, if anything?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Ignored it and did nothing Anchor

2 Kept records of the incidents

3 Blocked the cyberbully

4 Talked to a parent about it

5 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it

6 Talked to a friend about it

7 Contacted police

8 Learned about website and app privacy settings

9 Reported it to my employer or to human resources

10 Reported incidents to site

11 Directly confronted the cyberbully

12 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q19 What happened after you took these steps in response to being cyberbullied?

1 The cyberbullying stopped

2 The cyberbullying continued as before

3 The cyberbullying got worse

Section 6: Witnessing Cyberbullying

Q20. In the past year, have you ever witnessed any cyberbullying that was not directed at you (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to someone else)?

1 Yes

2 No Skip to Section 7

9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 7

IF YES

Q21. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Friend/former friend

2 Acquaintance

3 Family member

4 Person was anonymous

5 Someone I knew online

6 Current or past romantic partner

7 Someone at school

8 Someone I work with

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q22. As far as you know, what was involved in the cyberbullying you witnessed?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Name-calling

2 Physically threatening messages

3 Sexually explicit messages

4 Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly

5 Negative comments about race or ethnicity

6 Negative comments about sexual orientation

7 Negative comments about gender identity

8 Negative comments about physical appearance

9 Negative comments about a learning disability

10 Negative comments about mental illness

11 Negative comments about a physical disability

97 Other (specify) Anchor

98 Not sure Anchor

99 Prefer not to say Anchor

Q23. When you witnessed or heard about someone being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Ignored it and did nothing Anchor

2 Talked to the victim and tried to be supportive

3 Talked to a parent about it

4 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it

5 Talked to friends about it

6 Contacted police

7 Learned about website and app privacy settings

8 Reported it to my employer or to human resources

9 Directly confronted the cyberbully

10 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Section 7: Perpetrating Cyberbullying

Q24. Have you ever personally done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where you were accused of cyberbullying?

1 Yes

2 No Skip to Section 8

9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 8

IF YES

Q25. What relationship did you have to the person(s) who you may have cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Friend/former friend

2 Acquaintance

3 Family member

4 Person was anonymous

5 Someone I knew online

6 Current or past romantic partner

7 Someone from school

8 Someone I work with

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q26. Thinking about this incident where you may have cyberbullied someone, why did you do it?

Section 8: Responding to cyberbullying – ASK ALL

Q27. If you were being cyberbullied now, how do you think you would respond?

Select all that apply

Randomize

1 Ignore it and not respond Anchor

2 I would not know how to respond or what to do Anchor

3 Keep records of incidents

4 Block the cyberbully

5 Talk to a parent about it

6 Talk to a teacher or school authorities about it

7 Talk to a friend about it

8 Contact the police to report it

9 Learn about website and app privacy settings

10 Report it to the site where it happened

11 Report it to an employer or to human resources

12 Directly confronted the cyberbully

13 Go online to find out what I ought to do

98 Other (specify) Anchor

99 None of these Anchor. Exclusive.

Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?

Randomize. Carousel.

A If I was being cyberbullied and took steps to deal with it, I’m confident the problem would go away.

B Cyberbullying is a growing problem and that can have long-term consequences for victims

C If I was being cyberbullied, I’d feel very comfortable discussing it with my teachers

D Most people who are cyberbullies get away with it

E We do not take cyberbullying seriously enough

F If I was being cyberbullied, I’d feel very comfortable discussing it with my parents

G If I reported cyberbullying to the authorities, I’m confident they’d take it very seriously

Rotate scale

1 Strongly agree

2 Somewhat agree

3 Somewhat disagree

4 Strongly disagree

9 Not applicable

Q29 If you or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?

1 No, I don’t know of any specific help lines or websites

2 Yes, there is (PLEASE SPECIFY) ________________________

Section 9: Demographics

To finish up, we have just a few questions about you for statistical purposes only. Please be assured that your answers will remain completely confidential.

D5. Are you currently…?

Select all that apply.

1 In school full-time

2 In school part-time

3 Not a student

D6. Are you currently…?

Select all that apply.

1 Working full-time

2 Working part-time

3 Not working

D7. Which of the following is the highest level of education that you have completed?

1 Less than high school diploma or equivalent/I am still in high school

2 High school diploma or equivalent

3 Trade certificate or diploma (apprenticeship, technical institute, trade or vocational school)

4 College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma (other than trades certificates or diplomas)

5 University (undergraduate degree)

6 University (graduate or professional degree)

9 Prefer not to say

D8. Do you currently live with at least one parent or legal guardian?

1 Yes

2 No

9 Prefer not to say

D9. Do you identify as any of the following?

Randomize

A A racialized minority

B First Nation, Inuit, or Metis

C A person with a learning disability

D A person with a mental illness

E A person with a physical disability

F LGBTQ2 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited)

1 Yes

2 No

9 Prefer not to say

This completes the survey. On behalf of the Government of Canada, thank you for your valuable input. If you would like to know more about cyberbullying and how to deal with it, please visit

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cbr-scrt/cbrbllng/index-en.aspx

In the coming months, the results of this survey will be available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

II. Parents’ Questionnaire

Landing Page

Please select your preferred language for completing the survey / SVP choisissez votre langue préférée pour remplir le sondage.

1 English / Anglais

2 Français / French

Introduction

Welcome to this survey about young Canadians’ online experiences, including cyberbullying. This survey is intended for parents of children between the ages of 10 and 24. Environics Research, an independent research company, is conducting this survey on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Your participation is voluntary, and your answers will remain anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Derek Leebosh of Environics Research at derek.leebosh@environics.ca.

Please click on >> to continue.

Section 1: Screening

D1. How many children do you have who are between the ages of 10 and 24?

______children

None THANK AND TERMINATE

D2. What gender(s) do your children between 10 and 24 identify as?

CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

1 Male gender

2 Female gender

3 Gender diverse

4 Prefer not to say

D3. Do you have any children in each of the following age categories?

A 10 to 13 years old

B 14 to 17 years old

C 18 to 24 years old

3 Yes

4 No

D4. Do any of your children between the ages of 10 and 24 identify as any of the following?

Randomize. Columns and Rows

A A racialized minority

B First Nation, Inuit, or Metis

C A person with a learning disability

D A person with a mental illness

E A person with a physical disability

F LGBTQ2 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited)

5 Yes

6 No

9 Prefer not to say

D5. What province or territory do you live in?

Province/territory drop-down list

D6. To ensure we include people from all parts of Canada, what are the first three characters of your postal code?

FSA open end

Section 2: Safety

The following questions refer to your children who are between the ages of 10 and 24.

Q1. To what extent do you feel that your children are safe in each of these places?

Randomize. Carousel.

A At school

B At home

C In their workplace

D While online

E Walking alone in their neighbourhood

1 Not at all safe

2 Not very safe

3 Somewhat safe

4 Very safe

9 Does not apply

Section 3: Technology

Q2. How often do your children use the internet for any social interaction (such as texting, messaging or chatting online with friends or acquaintances, gaming, or sharing on social media)?

7 Hourly or more often/constantly

8 Several times a day

9 About once a day

10 A few times a week

11 Once a week or less

6 Never

Q3. As far as you know, which of the following online social media sites or apps do your children use?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

16 Facebook

17 WhatsApp

18 Instagram

19 Snapchat

20 Twitter

21 YouTube

22 Twitch

23 Discord

24 Reddit

25 Gaming platforms, such as Xbox Live, PlayStation or Steam

26 Tumblr

27 Text messaging

28 E-mail

29 Other (specify) Anchor

30 My children don’t use any of these sites or apps Anchor. Exclusive

31 I don’t know what sites or apps my children use Anchor. Exclusive

Section 4: Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying includes:

Teasing, name-calling, flaming or bashing individuals
Spreading rumours, private information (including intimate pictures), or fake information online
Harassment, threatening messages, stalking, or pretending to be someone

Q4. How aware are you of “cyberbullying”?

Rotate scale

1 Very aware

2 Somewhat aware

3 Not very aware

4 Not at all aware

Q5. On a scale of 0-10, how much of a problem do you think cyberbullying is for young people (i.e. 10 to 24-year olds) in Canada?

Insert horizontal scale. Rotate scale.

0 = Cyberbullying is not much of a problem at all

10 = Cyberbullying is an extremely serious problem

Q6. How common do you think it is for young people to experience cyberbullying?

Rotate scale

1 Cyberbullying is quite rare and only affects a very small number of young people

2 Cyberbullying happens occasionally and affects a minority of young people

3 Cyberbullying is pretty common and affects a lot of young people

4 Cyberbullying is everywhere and almost everyone experiences it

Q7. What specific categories of young people do you think are more likely to be the victims of cyberbullying?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Young men or boys

2 Young women or girls

3 Transgender or gender diverse people

4 People that identify as gay or lesbian

5 People who are perceived as physically unattractive, over or underweight

6 People of colour/racialized people

7 People with a learning disability

8 People with a mental illness

9 People with a physical disability

10 Other types of people (specify) Anchor

11 Everyone is equally likely to be cyberbullied Anchor. Exclusive

12 I don’t know Anchor. Exclusive

Q8. As far as you know is cyberbullying legal or illegal in Canada?

4 Cyberbullying is illegal

5 Cyberbullying is mostly illegal, but it depends on what it consists of

6 There are no laws against cyberbullying. It is legal.

10 Don’t know

Section 5: Experiencing Cyberbullying

Q9. How concerned are you that your own children might ever be cyberbullied? Are you…?

5 Very concerned

6 Somewhat concerned

7 Not very concerned

8 Not at all concerned

Q10. Have any of your own children aged 10 to 24 ever been cyberbullied?

1 Yes, one of my children has been cyberbullied

2 Yes, several of my children have been cyberbullied

3 No, my children have never been cyberbullied Skip to Section 6

9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 6

99 – I don’t know Skip to Section 6

IF ONE CHILD WAS CYBERBULLIED IN Q. 10, ASK

Q11. How old was your child when they were cyberbullied?

_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

IF MULTIPLE CHILDREN WERE CYBERBULLIED IN Q. 10, ASK

Q11b. How old were each of your children when they were cyberbullied?

Child #1

_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

Child #2

_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

Child #3

_____years of age DROP DOWN LIST OF AGES UP TO 24

Q11c. What is the gender(s) of your child(ren) who was cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

1 Male gender

2 Female gender

3 Gender diverse

4 Prefer not to say

Q12. When was the last time any of your children was cyberbullied? Was it…?

1 Within the last week

2 Within the last month

3 One month up to three months ago

4 Three months to a year ago

5 More than a year ago

9 Don’t remember

Q13 When your child(ren) was cyberbullied, which of the following best describes how you found out about it?

1 My child came to me right away and told me about the cyberbullying

2 My child eventually told me about the cyberbullying long after it began

3 My child didn’t tell me about the cyberbullying, and I found out about it from another source

4 Other (SPECIFY)_______________________

Q14. As far as you know, where or on what platform was your child(ren) cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

15 Facebook

16 WhatsApp

17 Instagram

18 Snapchat

19 Twitter

20 YouTube

21 Twitch

22 Discord

23 Reddit

24 Gaming platforms, such as Xbox Live, PlayStation or Steam

25 Tumblr

26 Text messaging

27 E-mail

28 Somewhere else (specify) Anchor

29 I don’t know Anchor exclusive

Q15. When your child(ren) was cyberbullied, which of the following did they experience?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Name-calling

2 Physically threatening messages

3 Sexually explicit messages

4 Private information (including intimate photos) posted publicly

5 Negative comments about their race or ethnicity

6 Negative comments about their sexual orientation

7 Negative comments about their gender identity

8 Negative comments about their physical appearance or weight

9 Negative comments about their learning disability

10 Negative comments about their mental illness

11 Negative comments about their physical disability

98 Other (specify) Anchor

99 Prefer not to say Anchor

Q16. How would you say your child(ren) being cyberbullied affected you personally? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of your child being cyberbullied didn’t really bother you at all and you just ignored it and 10 means that your child being cyberbullying was a very hurtful experience that really shook you up.

Insert scale. Rotate scale.

0 = Didn’t bother me at all

10 = Very hurtful experience for me

Q17. How would you say being cyberbullied affected your child(ren)? Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the experience of being cyberbullied didn’t really bother your child at all and they just ignored it and 10 means that being cyberbullied was a very hurtful experience that really shook your child up.

Insert scale. Rotate scale.

0 = Didn’t bother my child at all

10 = Very hurtful experience for my child

Q18. What did you do in response to your child(ren) being cyberbullied, if anything?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 I did nothing in response Anchor. Exclusive SKIP TO Q20

2 Kept records of the incidents

3 Showed my child how to block the cyberbully

4 Talked to my child about it and tried to be supportive

5 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it

6 Talked to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully

7 Contacted police

8 Learned about website and app privacy settings

9 Reported incidents to site

10 Directly confronted the cyberbully

11 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do

12 Took away their phone/tablet or computer or restricted access to it

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q19 What happened after you took these steps in response to your child being cyberbullied?

1 The cyberbullying stopped

2 The cyberbullying continued as before

3 The cyberbullying got worse

Section 6: Witnessing Cyberbullying

Q20. In the past year, have you witnessed any cyberbullying that was directed at young people other than your own children? (i.e. you heard about or saw it happen to another kid)?

1 Yes

2 No Skip to Section 7

9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 7

IF YES

Q21. What relationship did you have to the young person(s) who you witnessed being cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Friend of one of my children

2 Child of one of my friends

3 Child I’m related to (e.g. niece, nephew)

4 Child at my kids’ school

5 Child in my neighbourhood

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Q22. When you witnessed or heard about a young person being cyberbullied what, if anything, did you do?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 I did nothing in response Anchor

2 Kept records of the incidents

3 Showed the child how to block the cyberbully

4 Talked to the child about it and tried to be supportive

5 Talked to a teacher or to school authorities about it

6 Talked to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully

7 Contacted police

8 Learned about website and app privacy settings

9 Reported incidents to site

10 Directly confronted the cyberbully

11 Went online to try to find out what I ought to do

12 Talked to my own child about cyberbullying

99 Other (specify) Anchor

Section 7: Perpetrating Cyberbullying

Q23. How concerned are you that one of your own children might ever do something to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying? Are you…?

1 Very concerned

2 Somewhat concerned

3 Not very concerned

4 Not at all concerned

Q24. As far as you know, have any of your children ever done anything to someone online in a way that could be considered cyberbullying or where they were accused of cyberbullying?

1 Yes

2 No Skip to Section 8

9 Prefer not to say Skip to Section 8

99 Don’t know Skip to Section 8

IF YES

Q25. What relationship did your child have to the person(s) who they may have cyberbullied?

Select all that apply.

Randomize

1 Friend/former friend

2 Acquaintance

3 Family member

4 Person was anonymous

5 Someone they knew online

6 Current or past romantic partner

7 Someone from school

8 Someone they work with

9 Other (specify) Anchor

10 Don’t know Anchor

Q26. Thinking about this incident where your child may have cyberbullied someone, what, if anything, did you do about it?

Section 8: Responding to cyberbullying – ASK ALL

Q27. If one of your children was being cyberbullied, how would you respond?

Select all that apply

Randomize

2 Ignore it and not respond Anchor. Exclusive

2 I would not know how to respond or what to do Anchor. Exclusive

3 Keep records of the incidents

4 Show my child how to block the cyberbully

5 I’d talk to my child about it and try to be supportive

6 Talk to a teacher or to school authorities about it

7 Talk to/confronted the parents of the cyberbully

8 Contact the police

9 Learned about website and app privacy settings

10 Report incidents to the site

11 Directly confront the cyberbully

12 Go online to find out what I ought to do

13 Take away my child’s phone, tablet or computer or restrict access to it

98 Other (specify) Anchor

Q28. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about cyberbullying?

Randomize. Carousel.

A If my child was being cyberbullied and took steps to deal with it, I’m confident the problem would go away.

B Cyberbullying is a growing problem and that can have long-term consequences for victims

C Most people who are cyberbullies get away with it

D We do not take cyberbullying seriously enough

E If my child was being cyberbullied, they would probably talk to their friends about it before they would talk to me

F If I reported cyberbullying to school authorities, I’m confident they’d take it very seriously

G Parents do not have enough information on how to deal with cyberbullying when it happens

Rotate scale

1 Strongly agree

2 Somewhat agree

3 Somewhat disagree

4 Strongly disagree

9 Not applicable

Q29 If your child or someone you knew was being cyberbullied, are there any specific help lines or websites you know of where you could turn to for support?

1 No, I don’t know of any specific help lines or websites

2 Yes, there is (PLEASE SPECIFY) ________________________

Section 9: Demographics

To finish up, we have just a few questions about you for statistical purposes only. Please be assured that your answers will remain completely confidential.

D7. How old are you?

Numeric dropdown 18 to 99

D8. What is your gender?

1 Male gender

2 Female gender

3 Gender diverse

4 Prefer not to say

D9 What is the highest level of formal education you have completed?

Select one only

01-Up to high school

02-Some high school

03-High school diploma or equivalent

04-Registered Apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma

05-College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma

06-University certificate or diploma below bachelor’s level

07-Bachelor’s degree

08-Post graduate degree above bachelor’s level

99-Prefer not to answer

D10 Which of the following categories best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes?

Select one only

01-Under $20,000

02-$20,000 to just under $40,000

03-$40,000 to just under $60,000

04-$60,000 to just under $80,000

05-$80,000 to just under $100,000

06-$100,000 to just under $150,000

07-$150,000 and above

99-Prefer not to answer

This completes the survey. On behalf of the Government of Canada, thank you for your valuable input. If you would like to know more about cyberbullying and how to deal with it, please visit

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cbr-scrt/cbrbllng/index-en.aspx

In the coming months, the results of this survey will be available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

2. Research rationale and objectives

3. Report

1. Perceptions of safety by location

2. Time spent online

3. Use of internet for social interactions

4. Use of social media sites and apps

5. Experience of online social activities

1. Awareness of cyberbullying

2. Sources of information about cyberbullying

3. Perception of seriousness of cyberbullying

4. Perceptions of frequency of cyberbullying

5. Perceptions of more likely cyberbullying victims

6. Perceptions of legality of cyberbullying

1. Personal experience

2. Age and gender of cyberbullied children

3. Concern about being cyberbullied

4. When cyberbullying was last experienced

5. How parents found out about their children being cyberbullied

6. Platforms where youth experienced cyberbullying

7. Type of cyberbullying experienced

8. Relationship to cyberbully

9. Emotional impact of cyberbullying

10. Actions taken in response to being cyberbullied

11. Impact of taking action against cyberbullying

1. Witnessed cyberbullying directed at others

2. Relationship to person witnessed being cyberbullied

3. Type of cyberbullying witnessed

4. Action taken after witnessing cyberbullying

1. Frequency of reported perpetration of cyberbullying

2. Concern about children committing cyberbullying

3. Relationship to victim

4. Why did they do it?

1. Preferred response to cyberbullying

2. General attitudes toward cyberbullying

3. Awareness of resources about cyberbullying

Appendix B: Quantitative research instruments

Landing Page

Introduction

Section 1: Screening

Section 2: Safety

Section 3: Technology

Section 4: Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Section 5: Experiencing Cyberbullying

Section 6: Witnessing Cyberbullying

Section 7: Perpetrating Cyberbullying

Section 8: Responding to cyberbullying – ASK ALL

Section 9: Demographics

Landing Page

Introduction

Section 1: Screening

Section 2: Safety

Section 3: Technology

Section 4: Perceptions of Cyberbullying

Section 5: Experiencing Cyberbullying

Section 6: Witnessing Cyberbullying

Section 7: Perpetrating Cyberbullying

Section 8: Responding to cyberbullying – ASK ALL

Section 9: Demographics