Youth data: Violence and offenses are increasing among young people – highest number of bullying recorded

This year’s Youth Data reports have been prepared by the Welfare Research Institute NOVA at Oslo Met and will be presented during Arendal Week on Monday. The two reports combine figures from surveys conducted among over 250,000 children and young people from 5th grade to 3rd grade in upper secondary schools around the country. The researchers at NOVA emphasize that most Norwegian children and young people have good growing up conditions and a high quality of life, but that certain developmental traits cause concern.

– This year’s bullying figures are the highest since Ungdata began mapping this well over ten years ago. The proportion who have been exposed to violence from their peers has increased in the very last few years. The same applies to the proportion who have been in fights. At the same time, dissatisfaction at school and truancy rates continue to rise. Although most young people are law-abiding, the proportion reporting vandalism and vandalism has increased. The same applies to the use of alcohol and narcotic drugs, says the report summary.

Bullying is increasing

The pupils at secondary school and upper secondary school have responded to the extent to which they themselves or others at school experience violence, bullying or harassment, and whether they themselves expose others to bullying.

Here, 8 per cent of young people answer that they are exposed to bullying, threats and ostracism from their peers at school or in their free time at least every 14 days. This is an increase of 33 per cent from 2021.

– The number is the highest since the measurements in Ungdata started at secondary level, NOVA informs.

The proportion of boys who report that they themselves expose others to bullying is around 6–7 per cent, which is higher than what has been reported previously. The proportion of girls who state that they bully others is much lower, at 1–2 per cent, and has remained stable since the surveys began.

The Ungdata junior report also shows that 13 per cent of children in 5th–7th grade. class experience bullying, threats and ostracism every 14 days or more often, there has also been an increase.

Many break laws and regulations

Young people from 8th grade and up are asked about risky behaviour: use of drugs and involvement in various forms of rule breaking. In general, a minority report that they do this.

The researchers in NOVA, however, point to an increase in recent years in the proportion who have shoplifted, vandalized or been tagged.

15 per cent of boys and 10 per cent of girls admit to having snacked in the shop, while one in six young people has been away for a whole night without their parents knowing where they were.

As many as 30 per cent of the boys and 27 per cent of the girls say they have been tricked into paying at the cinema or sneaked onto the bus or the like.

Fighting and violence

The proportion of boys who have been in a fight, 25 per cent, is also higher now than in the previous survey from 2022. 7 per cent of the girls state that they have been in a fight, which is at the same level as before.

From 2021 to 2023/2024, there are also significantly more people who answer that they have been threatened, attacked or robbed by another young person with objects or weapons. 6 percent say they have experienced this, compared to 4 percent in the previous survey.

– Making an early debut with crime, and committing offenses of a serious nature, increases the risk of a criminal career later in life. Young people who commit criminal acts often have additional problems such as an unstable home life, psychological difficulties, poor adjustment to school, a weak social network and drug problems, NOVA states.

Still optimism

On the positive side, the surveys show that 90 per cent believe that their lives are good, and 85 per cent feel that they have everything they want in life. Most have good upbringing and a high quality of life. For example, the proportion of children and young people involved in organized leisure activities is increasing, and never before have there been more people exercising in their spare time.

– We also see a slight decrease in the proportion of young people who are troubled by loneliness and mental health problems.

At secondary school and in upper secondary school, belief in the future is strong and largely stays at the level of the last four or five years.

– As many as 68 percent believe they will have a good and happy life, and only 17 percent believe they will ever become unemployed. The exception is boys at secondary school, where the proportion who believe they will be unemployed has increased from 21 to 26 per cent, the researchers state.