4 | COVID-19 concerns raised by children and young people (b) Experiences of bullying related to COVID-19 • A small number of children and young people spoke about experiences of bullying related to COVID-19. • These experiences included COVID-19 being used as a reason to bully another child, and children and young people being victimised for breaking COVID-19 restrictions. Fifteen children and young people raised experiences of bullying related to COVID-19, during their contact with Kids Helpline. While the numbers were small, children and young people of every age group recorded concerns about bullying due to COVID-19. These concerns were raised more frequently by children aged 5-10 and 11-14 than the other two age groups. Both males and females raised these concerns. The types of experiences of bullying related to COVID-19 include: • children saying that another child has coronavirus • children and young people being victimised for breaking COVID-19 restrictions • bullying that usually occurs face-to-face now occurring online because schools were closed • the virus being used as a reason to bully or threaten someone. Several children also reported that they felt safer from bullying due to lockdown, as they did not have to attend school where bullying often occurred. Most experiences concerned face-to-face bullying rather than cyber-bullying. 40 The e-Safety Commissioner has warned of an increased risk of cyber-bullying and other forms of online abuse as more children and teenagers are online for study and recreation. Complaints of cyberbullying to the Office of the e-Safety Commissioner spiked at the beginning of the COVID-19 isolation period, and then subsided to levels normally associated with school holidays. With schools returning face-to-face in May, cyberbullying complaints began rising in line with expectations (as cyberbullying is often an extension of what is occurring in the school environment). For the month of June 2020, cyberbullying complaints were up more than 150% when compared to the monthly average for 2019.18 Bullying more broadly, rather than bullying related to COVID-19, is raised as a concern by children and young people that contact Kids Helpline. Of the 2,567 children and young people that raised COVIDrelated concerns, 38 had bullying recorded as a concern. Case studies: Experiences of bullying related to COVID-19 ‘Cody’, aged 11, rang Kids Helpline about a range of concerns, including his parents arguing, troubles at school and being bullied. The bullying at school has been going on for a long time. He had to self-isolate from school last week because he had symptoms similar to coronavirus. Now he is worried that people are keeping their distance from him and teasing him even more. He tries to walk away but that doesn’t seem to stop it. ‘Angela’, aged 21, told Kids Helpline that people were picking on her and her boyfriend because of coronavirus, saying that they shouldn’t be holding hands. It was making her feel sad and depressed.