Occurrence of Cyberbullying in Slovenian Schools and the Need for Communication

Abstract

The influence of cyberspace and information technology is in most cases positive, as it increases performance at the workplace or in the educational process. Unfortunately, cyberspace also presents various dangers. It is noted that cyberspace is becoming the most common environment for cyberbullying. Especially in recent years, there are more reports of violent incidents in schools in Slovenia as well. The authors found that cyberbullying is present among schoolchildren in Slovenia; 13.55% of students have already heard offensive words through telecommunication devices, while 10.16% have been victims of online rumours; 0.74 2.65% of respondents estimated that they are victims of cyberbullying every week. Peer-to-peer violence in Slovenia continues to develop and adapt to the way of life and technological development, which is why it is necessary to develop different ways and methods of treatment and prevention. With appropriate communication of all the parties involved, we can reduce the occurrence of peer violence and thereby also increase safety in educational institutions.