TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The John Tung Foundation released a survey Wednesday showing that 54,000 high school students in Taiwan have experienced cyberbullying over the past year.
The foundation said the survey aimed to understand teenagers' internet use and mental health. Conducted between March and May, the survey sampled students from 44 high schools across Taiwan. A total of 2,507 valid responses were collected, with male respondents accounting for 53.5%, per CNA.
Yeh Ya-hsin (葉雅馨), director of the foundation's mental health center, said a correlation exists between time spent online and adolescent mental health. She noted that teenagers who spend more than six hours online daily report higher levels of stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms compared to those who spend less than one hour online.
According to a study by the University of South Australia in September, more than 60% of teenagers watch their phones before bedtime, with a higher proportion being girls. Wu Yu-yu (吳佑佑), a pediatric psychiatrist at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, said that children who are dependent on their phones face a higher risk of exposure to cyberbullying.
Most teenagers who experience cyberbullying tend to seek help from their peers first, accounting for 32.3%, followed by their mothers at 23.4%, fathers at 7.4%, and teachers at 2.3%. Yeh added that 17% of adolescents choose not to seek help.
Chen Chih-tsai(陳質采), a pediatric psychiatrist at Taoyuan Psychiatric Center, urged teenagers to develop the ability to handle criticism in response to comments on social media posts. She also emphasized the importance of developing better control over their emotions.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the youth suicide rate in Taiwan has been on the rise since 2013. Among those aged 15 to 24, the suicide mortality rate increased from 5.2 per 100,000 individuals in 2013 to 10.7 in 2022.
The education ministry added that the number of reported cases of suicide and self-harm in schools rose from 1,589 in 2017 to 11,663 in 2022, with the largest increase seen among junior high and elementary school students. To address the issue, the ministry plans to increase the number of counselors available to students.
