REPORTING online bullying needs to be made a clearer and simpler process, the children’s commissioner has argued.
And there needs to be mechanisms for online platforms to take down harmful content “quicker”, Dr Carmel Corrigan told members of the Children’s, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel on Wednesday.
Dr Corrigan said it was her understanding that currently those reporting online bullying to the government’s website were signposted to victim support, and then signposted or provided a link to Childnet in the UK, to report concerns or risks regarding children and young people.
The children’s commissioner said it was “imperative” that whatever the government proposed to protect children from online harms that “really clear, simple and accessible pathways” for reporting online bullying were required in order to protect children.
“And we need mechanisms agreed with the platforms for quicker takedown,” she said. “I think that is one of the things that children would really like to see, is that if something comes up that is about them and is harmful, that there is a rapid way to get that removed.”
Children online
Published in March 2025, the latest Children and Young People’s Survey showed that:
A sixth of young people reported engaging in bullying behaviour using mobile
phones, tablets, online games or social media, “a few times”, “often” or “very often” in the last school term.
Around one in six (17%) year 4 students had at least one social media account in their own name, increasing to nine out of ten (90%) by year 12.
Overall, two-thirds (63%) of females had a social media account in their own name, compared to just over half (56%) of males.
social media, “a few times”, “often” or “very often” in the last school term, by year group. (Children and Young People’s Survey)
