Cyber bullying and stalking on the rise in Switzerland
According to a recent survey, online harassment and cyberstalking are becoming more and more widespread in Switzerland. And the problem is no longer the caged young people, reported RTS.
The survey, in which 4,000 18- to 65-year-olds in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland were asked between August 2 and 11, 2021, showed that the number of cases of harassment has increased by 10.6% since 2018. 39% of respondents said they had been harassed at least once.
Among 18- to 24-year-olds, almost half said they had been harassed and 21% were followed by cyber stalking. Almost half of the cases occurred in the workplace. The bullying rates were 1.4 times higher in women than in men. Jealousy and physical appearance were the most common causes of harassment.
Half of the victims of bullying and cyberbullying were severely affected, leading to loss of self-esteem, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and increased consumption of alcohol or other addictive substances. One in eight victims said they had thought of suicide.
The impact on employers is significant. Affected by Bullying and cyber stalking were incapacitated for an average of 5 days longer than those who were not. And they changed jobs twice as fast.
The study “Bullying and Cyberbullying in Adults” was published on Thursday by the German Alliance against Cyberstalking.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Now take a 5-minute French test
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