Cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs - are they enough to reduce the number of online aggressions?

Aim. In order to provide a complete image of this phenomenon in the world and how different countries are dealing with it, I analysed some research regarding the methods of prevention and intervention in cyberbullying that they have adopted. Methods. After studying the programs implemented in other countries, I conducted a research on 22 psychologists from Romania in order to find out their opinions about these programs. Conclusions. The results of this research study showed that the intervention and prevention programs adopted by different countries are essential in reduction of the cyberbullying cases, but these programs have to be combined with personalised intervention.

“The greatest difficulties encountered by psychologists and school counselors in counseling victims and witnesses of the cyberbullying phenomenon were related to convincing victims to talk about what happened, to declare the aggressor’s identity (...). [T]he number of children that are asking for the help of their parents or other competent persons is small because children can consider themselves guilty of being victims of the online aggression; some children consider that they can handle it alone; some are afraid of the parents’ reaction who are often confiscating the mobile device; some experience shame; some are afraid of the aggressor. In the opinion of the Romanian psychologists and school counselors, this phenomenon affects over 80% of the children in Romania…” (Zăvoianu & Pâinișoară, 2020, p.131)