Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the proportion of children who experienced cyber bullying in 2025; and what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce this.

The department monitors the prevalence of bullying among children and young people through the National Behaviour Survey (NBS).

The most recent NBS results, for the 2024/25 academic year, showed that 21% of secondary school aged pupils reported being bullied in the past 12 months. Of those pupils, 29% reported that at least some of the bullying occurred online.

The department is procuring an expert and evidence-led review into best practice on behaviour and preventing and tackling bullying, including cyber-bullying. The learning from this will support leaders to develop safe, supportive school cultures.

Through statutory relationships, sex and health education, pupils are taught about online relationships, the implications of sharing private or personal data (including images) online, harmful content, cyberbullying, what over-reliance on social media looks like and where to get help.