The 2025 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report highlights the increasing interaction of children with AI and the troubling rise of cyberbullying, particularly in the U.S. The report also provides key statistics on cyberbullying perpetrators, AI usage among kids, and practical advice for parents to protect their children online. #Cyberbullying #AICompanionship
Keypoints
- The report is structured into several main sections including an overview of children’s digital behaviors, statistics on cyberbullying and AI companionship, detailed analysis of cyberbullying perpetrators, regional cyberbullying rates, platforms where cyberbullying occurs, and how children use AI.
- It presents global and U.S. data showing 13% of kids globally and 24% in the U.S. are victims of cyberbullying; 36% globally and 28% in the U.S. use AI for companionship and emotional support.
- Top cyberbullying perpetrators include strangers online (27%), peers (27%), online gaming connections (43%), older teens or adults (39%), and former friends (30%).
- The U.S. leads cyberbullying among surveyed countries with 24%, compared to lower rates in Germany (8%), UK (13%), and others.
- Cyberbullying now extends beyond social media to platforms such as Facebook (43%), Instagram (39%), TikTok (31%), online gaming (25%), text messaging (23%), and YouTube (27%).
- Popular AI tools used by children globally include Google Gemini (57%), ChatGPT (48%), Microsoft Copilot (15%), and Snapchat My AI (13%).
- Parents show mixed sentiments about AI’s benefits, with 43% viewing AI as beneficial, 30% not, and 29% unsure; 57% have discussed AI risks like deepfakes and misinformation with their children.
- Over a third of parents have noticed their kids turning to AI for companionship and emotional support, with concern varying among parents.
- Nearly one in three children have bypassed screen time limits or parental controls, despite 55% of parents being concerned about screen time habits.
- The report ends with five practical tips for parents: start conversations early, use parental control tools wisely, teach kids to recognize online red flags, model healthy tech use, and stay involved and curious about their children’s online activities.
Source: Awesome Annual Security Reports - The reports in this collection are limited to content which does not require a paid subscription, membership, or service contract. (https://github.com/jacobdjwilson/awesome-annual-security-reports/)