Brazil and Portugal address surge in cyberbullying and online sexual grooming of teens

In Brazil, Fernando Machado, an educational specialist at Senac‑RS, warned that cyberbullying is increasingly harming adolescents' emotional health. He listed warning signs such as nervousness around notifications, hiding screens, social isolation, drops in academic performance, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite and frequent sadness. Machado stressed that families and schools must engage in open, non‑judgmental dialogue and maintain ongoing awareness campaigns, noting that cyberbullying is a punishable crime.

In Portugal, a study by the Centro de Investigação da Egas Moniz School of Health and Science surveyed over 170 youths aged 12‑17 and found that more than 40% had been subjected to online sexual grooming, with about a quarter responding to such approaches. The research linked grooming with sexting, noting that 9.3% of the cases led to face‑to‑face meetings with adults. Victims reported heightened anxiety, fear, shame and reduced positive emotions, highlighting the need for targeted prevention and support measures.