Spain sees rise in school bullying involving artificial intelligence and long-term abuse

This makes a total of 14.1%, compared to last year's 12.3%, according to a report by the Anar and Mutua Madrileña foundations.

Based on surveys of more than 18,000 students and some 400 teachers from both secondary and primary schools, the study finds that classmates are "the main perpetrators of cyberbullying for 66.7% of those surveyed".

The main reasons for bullying are: differences in the victim's physical appearance (around 80% of cases), culture, race or religion (more than half) or the things they do or say (around 40%).

It can also be due to body odour or personal hygiene, sexual orientation, disabilities, academic performance or simply because the child is "new". The data indicates that there is rarely a single cause, but rather a combination of several of these factors.

One aspect that concerns researchers is the "chronic nature" of violence in schools. According to the survey, one in four victims experience bullying that continues for more than a year, which entrenches the problem.

In face-to-face bullying, this figure remains similar to that of the previous period, but in cyberbullying it has risen by 7%. Teachers agree that these are not one-off incidents. In one in three cases the behaviour persists, a rise of 3.5% compared with previous results.

However, pupils do not remain apathetic in the face of bullying, such as verbal abuse, name-calling or mockery, the spreading of unfounded rumours or false information and the theft or destruction of belongings.

Most report it to teachers (77.7%) and support or stand up for the victim (77.5%), although "in secondary schools there is a greater tendency towards inaction (11%)", according to the study.

Students also often tell a family member or other classmates, while 2.6% "join in with those who are picking on them so that they don't pick on me" and 9% prefer not to intervene. That said, it is a phenomenon that "mainly occurs in groups", with greater participation from boys.

One of the growing trends is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to perpetrate violence, particularly against girls, by using their image in fake videos, their voice in manipulated audio recordings or to impersonate them.

Over the past year, this has risen by nearly 10% and a quarter of cyberbullying, which can take the form of online gaming, relies on this strategy to manipulate images that harm the victim.

In six out of ten cases, incidents of bullying are recorded so they can be shared on WhatsApp, TikTok or Instagram afterwards, accompanied by threats, in both primary and secondary schools.

However, third parties do not consider that forwarding humiliating content makes them an accomplice to the bullying. "Artificial intelligence poses an emerging challenge to efforts to combat school bullying, as its use in cyberbullying is increasing every year," the authors of the report say.

"Girls are more vulnerable to or exposed to cyberbullying incidents involving AI (60%) and it is mainly used to create fake videos, either by manipulating a classmate's audio or voice (57.5%) or by manipulating photos (79.5%)."

Students say that teachers do take an initiative against bullying. According to the surveyed students, their involvement has risen by 11%. However, one in four believes that teachers do not intervene at all to resolve the problem.

Students also feel that their classmates take action, whether to support or defend the victim, alert an authority figure, talk to the bully to get them to stop, mediate between victim and bully or confront the bully with threats or insults.

However, there is also a high proportion (one in five) who perceive that there is social support for the bully, even if merely through laughter.

Almost all participants stated that the victim needs help and cannot resolve the situation on their own. "From the teachers' perspective, the key factors leading a pupil to engage in bullying behaviour are peer pressure (89%), the misuse of new technologies and social media (87%), the normalisation of violence (87%) and a lack of respect for differences (87%)," the study says.

"According to teachers, bullies are characterised by a sense of superiority (82%), an aggressive and impulsive nature (76%) and family problems (75%)."

There is complete consensus that bullying impacts the victim very negatively (95%) and two out of every three pupils also see these effects within their own families. Fewer than half realise that it is harmful to those who witness it or to the bully.

For teachers, six out of ten cases are resolved through measures such as a temporary ban on taking part in activities, exclusion from lessons or the school or moving the pupil to a different class. However, 36% of cases persist over a long period of time.

Read comprehensive regional education and school news