Eurochild’s reaction to the Action Plan against Cyberbullying
Eurochild welcomes the integration of our contribution to the Action Plan on Cyberbullying, and calls for its effective implementation.
Over the past five years, cyberbullying has been the main reason children contacted Safer Internet Centres helplines. To address this, in 2026, the European Union published the Action Plan against Cyberbullying. Developed through consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including children, the Plan aims to strengthen prevention, raise awareness and ensure effective support through a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach.
Eurochild, having consulted its NOVA Council, a group of children from six European countries, welcomes the integration of our recommendations throughout the document. In particular, the Plan recognises some of our long-standing advocacy priorities, including the responsibility of online platforms to implement safety-by-design measures and that addressing online risks requires a comprehensive, coordinated, and whole-of-society approach.
We welcome the adoption of a definition of cyberbullying aligned with Eurochild recommendations and the views of the NOVA Council, recognising a broad range of forms of violence, and also echoing our position paper on violence against children. Both the Action Plan and consultations with the NOVA Council highlight as key elements of cyberbullying the power imbalance between perpetrator and victim and the specific nature of online environments, where anonymity plays a key role, and a single act can have repeated and far-reaching impact. Reflecting Eurochild’s contribution, the Action Plan acknowledges that certain groups face disproportionate exposure to cyberbullying, including girls, LGBTIQ+ children, children with disabilities and children with a migrant background and minority ethnic origin. The impact of cyberbullying on children’s mental health is recognised as well, reflecting our messages on the interconnected nature of online and offline bullying.
The Plan is structured around three pillars, the first one being a coordinated EU approach to protection and alignment with existing tools, notably the Digital Services Act and the Guidelines on the Protection of Minors Online. The upcoming review of the Guidelines will include accessible and more efficient reporting mechanisms, measures on content moderation and systems designs, as well as clarifications on the role of trusted flaggers in addressing cyberbullying and illegal content. Member States are encouraged to strengthen child participation mechanisms and establish comprehensive anti-bullying strategies.
Our recommendations on the second pillar, focusing on prevention and awareness, have been reflected in the text. It recognises the importance of digital literacy education through a multi-layered approach combining legislative actions, school programs, and cooperation with all relevant actors, including civil society organisations. Children are also considered as co-creators of awareness-raising activities. Importantly, these actions were also highlighted by the NOVA Council, with children themselves pointing to prevention and awareness as key areas for action.
The third pillar concerns reporting and comprehensive support. We welcome the development of an EU-wide online safety application enabling children to report cyberbullying, transmit evidence and access multidisciplinary support both online and offline. Strengthened cooperation with international actors is also essential for addressing a form of violence that does not stop at national borders.
While the Action Plan marks an important step forward, some elements could be further strengthened. Evidence shows that a significant proportion of children do not know how to report cyberbullying. Discussions with the NOVA Council further highlight that, even when they report, processes are often lengthy, difficult to navigate, and rely on overly broad reporting categories, discouraging them from taking action. Children also report continued exposure to the same harmful content even after reporting it, pointing to the need for more efficient content moderation systems. As also recognised in the Action Plan, it is crucial to ensure that reporting mechanisms are accessible, child-friendly and effective.
Furthermore, actions are needed to address emerging risks, including stronger safeguards against hate speech and cyberbullying on gaming platforms, and measures to prevent AI systems from generating bullying content or facilitating abusive behaviour, together with effective compliance by platforms. Greater clarity on the financial resources available to support implementation would strengthen its impact and effectiveness, particularly for children in vulnerable situations, who are often the least protected from violence. Finally, the Plan could be more explicit in highlighting how existing national good practices could be used as examples for other Member States, drawing on proven experiences to strengthen coordinated action at European level.
The Action Plan provides a shared framework to better understand, prevent and respond to cyberbullying across Europe. Moving forward, strengthened reporting mechanisms, sustainable funding and sustained cooperation between all relevant actors will be essential to translate commitments into improvements. Eurochild is ready to monitor the Plan’s implementation, and support with evidence from the experiences of children on the ground.
For further information, please contact Sofia Montresor, Policy & Advocacy Intern – Online Safety, Eurochild at sofia.montresor@eurochild.org.
