The rise of digital technology has transformed how children communicate and interact, but it has also created new avenues for violence, including cyberbullying and general online harassment. Violence in digital spaces is nowadays recognized as a public health issue, with associations to mental health problems, social exclusion, and poor school performance. Many European countries, including Sweden, face emerging policy challenges in this area and require evidence-based insights to inform prevention strategies.
The proposed project will run over a period of 12 months (January – December 2026) and has three complementary objectives:
(a) To summarize international research on cyberbullying against children and adolescents, identifying risk and protective factors as well as trends and gaps.
(b) To analyse the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) international survey data to estimate prevalence and examine risk factors for both victimization and perpetration of cyberbullying, including international comparisons.
(c) To conduct a policy scan of selected EU countries, highlighting best-practice approaches and emerging strategies addressing cyberbullying and technology-facilitated violence among children and adolescents that may inform policies in Sweden and other European countries.
Part 1: Literature Review
A targeted literature review will be conducted, focusing on peer-reviewed studies, reports from international agencies, and selected grey literature on cyberbullying and, to some extent, general digital violence against children. The review will summarize trends, risk factors, and policy approaches, providing a structured evidence base for the subsequent data analysis and policy scan.
Part 2: HBSC Data Analysis
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) is an international survey that provides a rich source of microdata on student health and behaviours, including cyberbullying, across Europe, Central Asia, and Canada. Despite its potential, the HBSC remains an underexploited dataset. Using the two previous survey waves (HBSC 2013/14 and HBSC 2017/18)1 that include cyberbullying variables, the project will: (a) Estimate prevalence rates of victimization and perpetration across Europe, both at the aggregate and country level, including subgroup analyses. (b) Conduct regression analyses to identify risk factors while controlling for relevant covariates such as age, gender, parental socioeconomic status, children’s mental and physical health, parental emotional support, and school/classroom characteristics, among others. Logistic or multinomial regression models will be the primary tools used, including analyses from an inequality perspective. These analyses will go beyond the descriptive statistics provided in official WHO reports, producing more detailed, robust and policy-oriented results. They will also extend beyond existing literature by systematically comparing Sweden to other European countries across waves and subgroups, allowing identification of national and international patterns and trends. Expected outputs from this section include prevalence tables, regression tables with odds ratios and confidence intervals, visualizations, and concise narrative explanations tailored for Swedish Ministry staff.
Part 3: Policy Scan
A desk-based policy review will summarize approaches to cyberbullying in a selected set of EU countries. The countries will be chosen iteratively, informed by systematic reviews, policy reports, and patterns emerging from the HBSC data analysis. Desk-based research will identify policy measures, implementation strategies, target populations, and outcomes (if available). The review will identify and categorize policy responses, distinguishing between “hard” measures (e.g.,legislation, bans, sanctions) and “soft” or strategic measures (e.g., awareness campaigns, educational programs, guidance for schools). To further enrich the analysis, expert interviews may be conducted to capture emerging best practices and innovative approaches. Outputs will include structured summary tables and a concise narrative highlighting lessons and actionable strategies.
The project will deliver a comprehensive report synthesizing international literature, robust statistical analyses, policy measures from selected EU countries and evidence-based recommendations for interventions and strategies in Sweden.