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A study presented during a conference in Nicosia has found that online abuse has become a routine part of daily life for many teenage girls across Europe, with researchers warning that cyber violence now affects girls on a massive scale.
The research, carried out by the European Institute for Gender Equality, involved focus groups with 133 girls aged 13 to 18 from ten EU countries, including Cyprus, Belgium, Germany and Sweden. Researchers found that many girls begin their day by checking their phones before getting out of bed, worried about rumours, insults, manipulated images or abusive messages that may have appeared overnight.
According to the findings, younger teenagers commonly face exclusion from group chats, body shaming, gossip and public humiliation online. Girls aged 16 to 18 reported more sexually targeted behaviour, including coercion, grooming, AI-generated fake images and controlling behaviour. Researchers said abuse appears across multiple platforms, adapting to the design and functions of each service, from direct messaging harassment on Instagram to sexist commentary and grooming on TikTok.
EIGE Director Carlien Scheele described cyber violence against girls as “a pandemic,” saying many parents and teachers do not fully understand how frequently girls encounter threats, harassment and fake sexual images online. She warned that fear and intimidation can damage girls’ education, employment prospects and participation in society.
Researchers also found that many teenagers witness online abuse without stepping in, often because they fear becoming targets themselves or losing social status. Some boys involved in the study described harassment as a way to gain attention or approval from peers. Gaming platforms were also identified as spaces where female users quickly become targets of sexist abuse.
The issue was discussed during a two-day conference organised under the Cyprus EU Presidency, bringing together representatives from European institutions, the UN Women and the Council of Europe. Cyprus Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou said violence against women online and offline is closely connected and called for cooperation between governments, technology companies, families and media organisations to tackle the problem.
Officials at the conference argued that online abuse is rooted in sexism and gender inequality, while speakers stressed the importance of prevention, education and stronger enforcement of laws. Kalliopi Mingeirou said digital abuse often spills into real life, pointing to research showing that many women in public life who experienced online threats later faced harassment offline as well.
Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou said international legal frameworks already exist through agreements such as the Istanbul Convention and the Budapest Convention, but countries must improve enforcement and cooperation to identify offenders and hold technology companies accountable.
EIGE estimates that gender-based violence costs the European Union hundreds of billions of euros each year, with officials arguing that the issue affects not only human rights and public safety, but also economic participation and social stability
