Norwegian children’s perceptions of effectiveness of social media companies’ cyberbullying policies: an exploratory study

There is a paucity of research that examines the effectiveness of social media companies’ anti-bullying tools from the children’s perspective. This article relies on two datasets from Norway: A small-scale exploratory survey and focus groups with children at one school in Norway; and the EU Kids Online survey with a nationally representative sample of Norwegian Internet-using children, to examine whether children and young people aged 9–19 are aware of and whether they use social media companies’ mechanisms against cyberbullying (e.g., various types of reporting, blocking, and companies’ safety and help centers). We also examine the extent to which children find these tools to be helpful and the underlying reasons for such perceptions of the effectiveness of social media companies’ mechanisms. The study further inquires into children’s perceptions of company responsibility for providing assistance in bullying incidents. While the majority of children in both samples know how to use basic tools such as reporting, the levels of awareness of various companies’ advanced tools as well as the use of these, are relatively low. Children also have mixed perceptions as to whether companies are able to assist. Results are discussed from the framework of children’s rights, offering policy recommendations.

目前鲜有研究从儿童视角出发，评估社交媒体平台反欺凌工具的实际效用。本文依托挪威境内的两类数据集开展研究：其一为针对挪威某所学校儿童开展的小型探索性调查与焦点小组访谈；其二为采用全国代表性抽样的挪威联网儿童样本的欧盟儿童在线（EU Kids Online）调查。本研究旨在探究9至19岁儿童与青少年是否知晓并使用社交媒体平台的网络欺凌防控机制（如各类举报、屏蔽功能，以及平台安全与求助中心），同时考察儿童对这些工具的实用程度评价，以及影响其对平台防控机制有效性产生此类认知的深层原因。此外，本研究还进一步探讨了儿童对平台在欺凌事件中提供协助的责任认知。尽管两类样本中的多数儿童都掌握了举报这类基础工具的使用方法，但他们对平台各类进阶工具的知晓率与实际使用率均相对偏低。儿童对平台是否能够提供有效协助的认知也存在分歧。本文将以儿童权利为框架展开结果讨论，并提出相应的政策建议。