CIVILITY, SAFETY
& INTERACTION
ONLINE
February 2021
5th
Edition
Digital Civility research 5th anniversary
58,000 + interviews conducted in over 30 countries
Headlines
Nearly two in three respondents experienced an online risk
2016
Number of
countries
14
Online abuse often comes from people’s own social circles
2017
23
People around the world reported increased civility online
2018
22
Digital civility at lowest level in
4 years
2019
25
Covid-19 pandemic in progress during survey
2020
32
2
Study Methodology
Countries added |
Australia Denmark Philippines Spain Sweden Taiwan Thailand |
N=16,051, April 22-May 15, 2020
32 geos, 7 added in 2020 (orange)
Web survey, Adults 18-74, Teens 13-17
3
New questions
4
Overall rating of online civility
Bullying and harassment inside & outside workplace
Which organizations will make the most contributions to online civility in the 2020s
Impact of Covid-19 on online civility
DCI was unaffected by addition of new countries
5
Storylines
1
Teens led online civility recovery in 2020
2
State of online civility was rated less negatively
3
Risks that spread hate and division continued to grow
4
Nearly four in ten involved in a bullying incident
5
One in four said online civility was better during Covid-19
6
Teens led online civility recovery in 2020
Digital Civility improved 3-points since 2019
70
DCI reaches highwater mark
67
Explosion of digital activity due to Covid-19
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
8
Majority of DCI improvement driven by Teens
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
DCI YoY trend by Age
Base: total sample, n=16,051
Teens accounted for nearly 80% of the change
Teens improved YoY across all risk categories
Base: total sample, n=16,051
9
One in three rated overall online civility as good
Q.1: How would you rate the overall state of online civility in your country?
Over four in ten rate online civility as neutral
Base: total sample, n=16,051
Teens rate online civility higher than adults
Base: total sample, n=16,051
10
57% took at least one Digital Civility Challenge action
Q.12: Have you ever taken any of the following actions after you were treated in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
Digital civility recovery helped by 7-point rise in DCC actions
Base: Experienced a risk, n=10,780
Any DCC action
I stood up for myself
Paused before replying
Respect for another POV
Treat with dignity & respect
11
DCC champions skew younger
Q.12: Have you ever taken any of the following actions after you were treated in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
61% of Millennials took one or more DCC action(s)
Base: Generation experienced a risk
12
Foundation of DCC is “Stood up for myself”
Q.12: Have you ever taken any of the following actions after you were treated in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
I stood up for myself is the 1st and 2nd most likely action taken
If I took this action ►
What % took another action ▼
| DCC items | | |||
| I stood up for myself | I paused before replying to someone I disagreed with online | I showed respect for other people's point of view | I treated the other person with dignity and respect | I defended someone who was treated unsafe or uncivil online |
I stood up for myself | 100% | 48% | 52% | 50% | 54% |
I paused before replying to someone I disagreed with online | 35% | 100% | 48% | 46% | 43% |
I showed respect for other people's point of view | 32% | 41% | 100% | 53% | 39% |
I treated the other person with dignity and respect | 29% | 37% | 50% | 100% | 34% |
I defended someone who was treated unsafe or uncivil online | 40% | 43% | 46% | 43% | 100% |
| | | | | |
3rd
2nd
4th
Action chosen, rank
5th
13
Extreme pain dropped significantly�Worry that risk will reoccur lessened slightly
Q5.7: How much do you worry about this happening to you again
Q5.1: How much emotional, psychological or physical pain did you suffer because of…
14
DCI scores: Top quartile (Q1)
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
Netherlands, USA, Singapore and Belgium showed significant YoY improvement in DCI
Base: Experienced a risk, n=10,780
| | | | | | Top three risks | |
| | 2019 | 2020 | YoY ▲ | First | Second | Third |
| Netherlands | 56 | 51% | -5 | Treated mean | Unwanted contact | Unwanted sexting |
| United Kingdom | 52 | 55% | +3 | Unwanted contact | Treated mean | Hoaxes, scams & frauds |
| United States | 60 | 56% | -4 | Treated mean | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds |
| Singapore | 63 | 59% | -4 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Treated mean |
| Taiwan | | 61% | NA | Unwanted sexting | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds |
| Germany | 58 | 62% | +4 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Treated mean |
| Australia | | 62% | +7* | Treated mean | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds |
| Belgium | 66 | 62% | -4 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Unwanted sexting |
*comparison with 2017 DCI score
15
Countries that came together during pandemic
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
Biggest improvements in DCI were primarily among countries ranked low on online civility
Base: Experienced a risk, n=10,780
| | | | | | Top three risks | |
| | 2019 | 2020 | YoY ▲ | First | Second | Third |
| Colombia | 80 | 70% | -10 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Unwanted sexting |
| Chile | 75 | 67% | -8 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Unwanted sexting |
| Peru | 81 | 74% | -7 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Unwanted sexting |
| Vietnam | 78 | 72% | -6 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Trolling |
| Turkey | 73 | 68% | -5 | Trolling | Unwanted contact | Unwanted sexting |
| Netherlands | 56 | 51% | -5 | Treated mean | Unwanted contact | Unwanted sexting |
| Argentina | 76 | 71% | -5 | Unwanted contact | Hoaxes, scams & frauds | Unwanted sexting |
| Hungary | 77 | 73% | -4 | Unwanted contact | Treated mean | Unwanted sexting |
16
Several Latam countries helped boost WW DCI
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Top quartile
Bottom quartile
| DCI | YoY ▲ |
Chile* | 67 | -8 |
Colombia* | 70 | -10 |
Argentina* | 71 | -5 |
Brazil | 72 | 0 |
Peru* | 74 | -7 |
Mexico | 76 | +1 |
*All-time best DCI score
17
Online civility rated less negatively in 2020
Sharp drop in bad ratings except for bullying
However, like 2019, bad ratings outweighed good ratings by a large margin
Base: total sample, n=16,051
People are contacted online without their permission or consent (%)
People are bullied, harassed or abused online (%)
People experience unwanted relationship requests or sexual advances online (%)
The amount people's personal or work reputation is attacked and or damaged online (%)
Q.2019_1_1: How good or bad is the state of online civility in your country today regarding
More common
Less common
Good
Neutral
Bad
19
Fewer say civility will be worse one year from now
Q.2019_1_2: A year from now, do you expect the state of online civility in your country to be
People are contacted online without their permission or consent
People are bullied, harassed or abused online
People experience unwanted relationship requests or sexual advances online
The amount people's personal or work reputation is attacked and or damaged online
However, the proportion who said civility will get better a year from now was unchanged
Base: total sample, n=16,051
Better
Stay the same
Worse
More common
Less common
20
Outlook for the 2020’s was mixed
Q.12F: Next year will begin the new decade of the 2020s. Thinking ahead to the 2020s, do you expect…
Outlook for bullying and sexual harassment was a little less positive.
Base: total sample, n=16,051
Technology and social media companies' tools and policies to encourage respectful and civil behavior while punishing bad behavior
Your ability to protect your personal information and privacy online
Your ability to protect and defend your reputation online
Overall online civility
The number of women who experience sexual harassment or abuse online
The number of teens who are bullied, harassed or abused online
The number of insensitive & hateful comments based on political views, race, physical appearance, sexual orientation or ethnicity
Better
Stay the same
Worse
21
Hoping for more respect and safety in 2020s
Q12G: Which three words best describe what you hope will come to define online experiences and interactions during the next decade?
22
Social media companies expected to make biggest contribution to improving online civility in 2020s
Q.12H - By the end of the 2020's, which of the following do you expect will have made the most contributions to improving online civility
Technology companies ranked fifth
Base: total sample, n=16,051
| % |
Social media companies | 52 |
News media | 42 |
Educational institutions | 41 |
Government | 40 |
Technology companies | 35 |
Non-governmental organizations | 19 |
Religious groups | 12 |
Business organizations | 9 |
| Gen Z | Millennials | Gen X | Boomers |
Social media companies | 53% | 55% | 50% | 46% |
News media | 41% | 46% | 40% | 38% |
Educational institutions | 45% | 38% | 35% | 36% |
Government | 40% | 41% | 39% | 40% |
Technology companies | 36% | 33% | 36% | 39% |
Non-governmental organizations | 18% | 20% | 24% | 25% |
Religious groups | 13% | 13% | 11% | 11% |
Business organizations | 8% | 12% | 10% | 8% |
23
Risks that spread hate and division continued to grow
“One of the biggest challenges will be finding an appropriate balance between protecting anonymity and enforcing consequences for the abusive behavior that has been allowed to characterize online discussions for far too long.”
Author, Bailey Poland, March 2017
A few divisive risks at 5-year highs
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
Rank order of top 10 risks unchanged
Base: Experienced a risk, n=10,780
| Risk category | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 5 yr. ▲ |
Unwanted contact | Intrusive | 43 | 44 | 40 | 40 | 40 | -3% |
Hoaxes, frauds, scams | Intrusive | | 28 | 28 | 29 | 31 | +3% |
Unwanted Sexting* | Sexual | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | +2% |
Treated mean | Behavioral | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 23 | +1% |
Trolling | Behavioral | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | -1% |
Hate speech | Intrusive | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 20 | +4% |
Unwanted sexual attention | Sexual | | | 16 | 18 | 17 | +1% |
Online harassment | Behavioral | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 0% |
Discrimination | Intrusive | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | +5% |
Sexual solicitation | Sexual | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | +1% |
*includes unwanted sexting received & sent
25
Risks increasingly more anonymous and recent
Q.2A: Which types of people have, in the past treated you in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
Q.6: When was the last time these events happened to you?
Past week
Past month
Past year
26
Anonymous bullying behavior jumped
Q.2A: Which types of people have, in the past treated you in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
Q.B1: Have you ever suffered, witnessed or been involved in a bullying incident?
27
Frequency of personal and sexual attacks jumped
Q5.2A: How many times did you experience these risks?
Relationship between risk incidence and multiple attacks (i.e., 3 or more times)
Base: Experienced the risk, n=10,780
Happened to me 3 or more times, YoY ▲
Microaggression +15%
Misogyny +14%
Discrimination +12%
Unwanted sexting +9%
Sexual solicitation +9%
Cyberbullying +9%
Median = 15%
Median = 42%
Bold = YoY ▲ >9%
High incidence
& frequency
Low incidence
& frequency
28
Consequences increased; social media takes a potential hit
Q.9: You previously mentioned that you or a friend/family member had been treated in an uncivil way online by another person(s). Please tell us if any of the following has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member as a consequence of being treated uncivilly:
Consequences with the biggest changes past 5 years
Base: experienced a risk, n=10,780
Consequences | 2016 | 2020 | 5-year ▲ |
Any consequences | 67 | 76% | 9 |
Was less likely to participate in social media | 21 | 40% | 19 |
Became less trusting of other people offline | 30 | 37% | 7 |
Lost sleep | 23 | 33% | 10 |
Personal reputation was damaged | 10 | 24% | 13 |
Lost money | 11 | 23% | 12 |
Negatively affected my school performance | 13 | 19% | 6 |
Intentionally spent less time at school | 9 | 18% | 10 |
Had thoughts of suicide | 5 | 17% | 12 |
Took out my frustration on another person | 7 | 17% | 10 |
Negatively affected my work performance | 10 | 15% | 6 |
29
Confidence in managing risks fell sharply
Q.10: How confident are you in your personal ability to manage online risks or uncivil behavior online?
Q.11: If you need help, do you know where to get help to manage online risks or uncivil behavior online?
Q.11A: How difficult was it to get help when you were treated in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
30
Nearly four in ten involved in �a bullying incident
38% involved in bullying incident
Q.B1: Have you ever suffered, witnessed or been involved in a bullying incident?, Q.B1A: Did these bullying incidents occur...?
Q.B2: Did the bullying or harassment you experienced happen...?, Q.B3: Thinking about your bullying and harassment experiences, which best describes your role(s)?
19% said they were the target of bullying
Witness or bystander
Target
Contributor
Bully
Bullied online & offline
Bullied offline only
Bullied online only
Bullied outside workplace
Bullied in workplace
32
Bullies faced significant social pressure to act
Q.B3B: You mentioned you instigated and/or contributed to online bullying or harassment in the past. Did you feel peer or social pressure to do this?
Q.B3C: Do you have any regrets about being an instigator or contributor to online bullying or harassment?
Base: Instigated or contributed to bullying, n=269
Base: Felt social pressure, n=161
33
Millennials & Gen Z hit hardest by bullying
Q.B1: Have you ever suffered, witnessed or been involved in a bullying incident?
Gen X had the highest target %, Gen Z highest witness %
Involved in bullying incident
Based to generation
Role in bullying incident
Base to generation
34
Most common defense was to block bullies
Q.B4: Thinking about your online bullying and harassment experiences in the past, what did you do?
Responses to the bully
Base: target of bullying, n=2,142
Females responded better than males
Teens most likely to seek support from friends & adults
35
Skepticism about punishment discouraged reporting
Q.B4A: Which reason(s) best describe why you ignored or did not report what happened to you?
54% did not report bullying due to fear attacker wouldn’t be punished
Base: did not report incident, n=889
41% of teens were deterred from reporting bullying for fear of retribution
Base: did not report incident, n=889
36
One in eight adults were bullied at work
Q.WB1: Have you ever been bullied or harassed at work?
Q.WB1A: Where have you been bullied or harassed at work?
Q.WB2: Did the bullying or harassment you experienced at work happen...?
Q.WB3: Who bullied or harassed you online at work?
Base: Adults who were bullied at work, n=949
Past employer
Current employer
Bullied online & offline
Bullied offline only
Bullied online only
Co-worker
My manager
Customer
Executive
Other manager
37
60% of adults did not report workplace bullying
Q.WB4: Did you report the bullying or harassment?
Q.WB4A: Which reason(s) best describe why you did not report what happened to you?
Similar to non-workplace bullying, skepticism about punishment discouraged reporting at work
38
Most common consequences were loss of self-worth and depression
Q.WB5: Have any of the following happened to you as a consequence of being bullied or harassed online at work?
Gen X hurt most by workplace bullying
Base: Experienced a risk, n=10,780
| Total | 18-24 | Millennials | Gen X | Boomers |
Felt humiliated | 58% | 59 | 57 | 61 | 49 |
Felt demoralized | 52% | 50 | 49 | 61 | 48 |
Loss of self-confidence | 51% | 61 | 50 | 45 | 46 |
Felt isolated and depressed | 48% | 53 | 46 | 53 | 34 |
Less productive at work | 47% | 42 | 45 | 58 | 42 |
Anxiety or panic attacks | 41% | 40 | 41 | 50 | 26 |
Co-workers made jokes at my expense | 32% | 37 | 35 | 25 | 16 |
Co-workers ignored me or failed to speak to me | 31% | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 |
Co-workers showed less interest in my opinions | 29% | 28 | 32 | 27 | 21 |
Co-workers were more likely to interrupt or talk over me | 25% | 28 | 24 | 31 | 16 |
39
Workplace bullying more painful than outside workplace
Q.B5: How much emotional, psychological or physical PAIN did you suffer because of the online bullying or harassment?
Q.WB6: How much emotional, psychological or physical PAIN did you suffer because of the bullying or harassment online at work?
Unbearable, severe pain from online bullying was 18-points higher inside the workplace
Base: Experienced a risk, n=10,780
18-pts.
40
Witnesses to bullying appear to suffer collateral damage
Targets had the most negative online experiences (%)
41
One in four said civility online was �better during Covid-19
Status of pandemic during fielding among the 32 survey countries
Status of pandemic during fielding
Among the 32 surveyed countries
Numbers based on data through May 15, 2020
3,547,133
Total number of cases reported
273,870
Total number of deaths reported
92
Average days since first reported case
.446 MM total deaths
Survey dates
7.961 MM total cases
43
One in four said civility online was better
Q.CV1: How has the Corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak affected the degree of civility you experience in online interactions?
Q.CV1A: How has civility online been better during the Coronavirus crises?
Better online civility was attributed to people helping one another and a greater sense of community
26% said online civility was better during the pandemic
Base: total sample, n=16,051
Better
I see more people helping other people |
A greater sense of community |
A greater feeling we're all in this together |
People have come together more to deal with the crisis |
More people are reconnecting with friends and family |
People have been more encouraging to each other |
Fewer personal attacks or negative comments |
Fewer incidents with terrorists and violent extremist broadcasting their actions online |
44
One in five reported civility was worse
Q.CV1: How has the Corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak affected the degree of civility you experience in online interactions?
Q.CV1B: How has civility online been worse during the Coronavirus crises?
Greater spread of false and misleading information was most often cited as how online civility had worsened
22% said online civility was worse during the pandemic
Base: total sample , n=16,051
Worse
Increased spread of false or misleading information |
People are taking out their frustrations online |
People are less tolerant |
More personal attacks or negative comments |
I see more people acting selfishly |
I see more people feeling scared or lonely |
I see more people taking advantage of others |
More incidents with terrorists and violent extremist broadcasting their actions online |
45
Positive perceptions of online civility during Covid-19 associated with most improved DCI scores�
Q.CV1: How has the Corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak affected the degree of civility you experience in online interactions? During the outbreak, has civility online been...?
Bold = most improved DCI
Civility net worse
Civility net better
46
Stricter government policies were associated with more positive perceptions of online civility during Covid-19
*Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. Scores (0-100) where a score of 100 represents the highest level of public health restrictions
Q.CV1: How has the Corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak affected the degree of civility you experience in online interactions? During the outbreak, has civility online been...?
Civility net worse
Civility net better
Bold = top 10 reported deaths per MM as of May 15, 2020
Looser restrictions
(OxCGRT)* avg. score = 68
Tighter restrictions
(OxCGRT)* avg. score = 84
47
Millennials saw more negative change in civility
Q.CV1: How has the Corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak affected the degree of civility you experience in online interactions? During the outbreak, has civility online been...?
Over one in four Millennials said online civility had gotten worse
Base: total, n=16,051
48
Appendix
Digital civility challenge awareness
Q.12D: How familiar are you with the Microsoft Digital Civility Challenge?
50
Key digital civility metrics (countries 1-16)
*Pain – moderate to unbearable pain
*Worry – Extremely, very, somewhat worried the risk will happen again
*Past week/month – when the most recent risk happened
| Total | AR | AU | BE | BR | CA | CL | CO | DK | FR | DE | HU | IN | ID | IE | IT | MY |
DCI | 67% | 71% | 62% | 62% | 72% | 62% | 67% | 70% | 68% | 63% | 62% | 73% | 68% | 76% | 71% | 64% | 63% |
Intrusive | 57% | 62% | 50% | 53% | 65% | 49% | 59% | 58% | 62% | 57% | 51% | 66% | 57% | 66% | 63% | 59% | 45% |
Behavioral | 43% | 45% | 41% | 33% | 48% | 39% | 41% | 37% | 34% | 28% | 31% | 50% | 43% | 54% | 49% | 32% | 48% |
Sexual | 34% | 32% | 17% | 24% | 22% | 14% | 30% | 34% | 23% | 21% | 30% | 29% | 25% | 36% | 24% | 21% | 27% |
Reputational | 18% | 18% | 15% | 17% | 18% | 13% | 19% | 16% | 13% | 10% | 16% | 19% | 27% | 23% | 18% | 15% | 20% |
Pain (4-10)* | 64% | 67% | 67% | 59% | 69% | 58% | 61% | 65% | 49% | 59% | 46% | 56% | 86% | 61% | 64% | 62% | 72% |
Worry* | 62% | 57% | 54% | 57% | 86% | 53% | 55% | 55% | 46% | 49% | 49% | 52% | 84% | 80% | 57% | 55% | 73% |
Frequency 3x or more | 63% | 64% | 66% | 62% | 60% | 56% | 67% | 59% | 66% | 63% | 64% | 69% | 57% | 65% | 71% | 53% | 56% |
Consequences | 76% | 78% | 70% | 76% | 81% | 73% | 74% | 75% | 66% | 75% | 70% | 81% | 81% | 81% | 74% | 76% | 75% |
Actions taken | 93% | 97% | 89% | 89% | 94% | 87% | 95% | 95% | 83% | 88% | 87% | 93% | 97% | 96% | 93% | 90% | 94% |
Past week/month | 35% | 34% | 30% | 30% | 40% | 29% | 30% | 34% | 34% | 30% | 33% | 39% | 43% | 45% | 35% | 26% | 31% |
51
Key digital civility metrics (countries 17-32)
*Pain – moderate to unbearable pain
*Worry – Extremely, very, somewhat worried the risk will happen again
*Past week/month – when the most recent risk happened
| Total | MX | NL | PE | PH | PL | RU | SG | SA | ES | SE | TW | TH | TU | UK | US | VN |
DCI | 67% | 76% | 51% | 74% | 66% | 70% | 80% | 59% | 81% | 67% | 74% | 61% | 69% | 68% | 55% | 56% | 72% |
Intrusive | 57% | 63% | 34% | 64% | 59% | 60% | 71% | 52% | 72% | 59% | 61% | 48% | 63% | 56% | 46% | 47% | 64% |
Behavioral | 43% | 45% | 34% | 42% | 44% | 50% | 61% | 35% | 57% | 33% | 51% | 37% | 44% | 55% | 38% | 43% | 51% |
Sexual | 34% | 39% | 19% | 40% | 16% | 26% | 14% | 15% | 34% | 29% | 24% | 43% | 30% | 34% | 14% | 16% | 26% |
Reputational | 18% | 20% | 11% | 22% | 19% | 24% | 20% | 13% | 27% | 15% | 21% | 20% | 19% | 21% | 9% | 14% | 30% |
Pain (4-10)* | 64% | 66% | 57% | 65% | 71% | 69% | 61% | 63% | 73% | 59% | 67% | 66% | 72% | 69% | 60% | 59% | 66% |
Worry* | 62% | 68% | 52% | 59% | 69% | 63% | 71% | 58% | 74% | 57% | 50% | 63% | 66% | 66% | 50% | 58% | 72% |
Frequency 3x or more | 63% | 54% | 51% | 61% | 57% | 63% | 73% | 60% | 75% | 59% | 72% | 75% | 64% | 70% | 58% | 71% | 62% |
Consequences | 76% | 79% | 63% | 78% | 80% | 74% | 79% | 72% | 86% | 69% | 73% | 68% | 82% | 87% | 69% | 78% | 81% |
Actions taken | 93% | 96% | 87% | 96% | 98% | 91% | 91% | 90% | 96% | 92% | 88% | 95% | 97% | 97% | 88% | 90% | 99% |
Past week/month | 35% | 37% | 21% | 35% | 36% | 38% | 46% | 30% | 50% | 31% | 36% | 33% | 44% | 34% | 26% | 30% | 48% |
52
Key digital civility metrics by demographics
|
| Age | Gender | Adults | Teens | Generation | |||||||
| Total | Adults | Teens | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Gen Z | Millennials | Gen X | Boomers |
DCI | 67% | 71% | 63% | 67% | 67% | 72% | 71% | 63% | 63% | 66% | 75% | 67% | 61% |
Intrusive | 57% | 63% | 52% | 57% | 57% | 63% | 63% | 52% | 52% | 55% | 66% | 60% | 54% |
Behavioral | 43% | 42% | 44% | 43% | 43% | 42% | 42% | 44% | 43% | 46% | 49% | 36% | 24% |
Sexual | 34% | 40% | 29% | 32% | 36% | 38% | 42% | 27% | 30% | 32% | 44% | 37% | 30% |
Reputational | 18% | 20% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 20% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 18% | 24% | 17% | 11% |
Pain (4-10)* | 64% | 61% | 67% | 61% | 67% | 58% | 65% | 65% | 69% | 67% | 68% | 58% | 44% |
Worry* | 62% | 59% | 65% | 59% | 65% | 56% | 62% | 61% | 69% | 65% | 65% | 56% | 44% |
Frequency 3x or more | 63% | 67% | 59% | 63% | 64% | 68% | 67% | 58% | 61% | 61% | 68% | 67% | 64% |
Consequences | 76% | 77% | 76% | 74% | 78% | 75% | 79% | 74% | 77% | 77% | 80% | 75% | 65% |
Actions taken | 93% | 90% | 96% | 92% | 93% | 89% | 91% | 96% | 96% | 96% | 93% | 88% | 82% |
Past week/month | 35% | 35% | 35% | 37% | 33% | 38% | 32% | 36% | 33% | 36% | 38% | 31% | 29% |
53
DCI regional summary
Country | DCI | Rank |
United States Canada | 56 62 | 3 9 |
Country | DCI | Rank |
Chile Colombia Argentina Brazil Peru Mexico | 67 70 71 72 74 76 | 14 21 23 25 28 30 |
Country | DCI | Rank |
Netherlands United Kingdom Germany Belgium France Italy Spain Denmark Ireland Sweden | 51 55 62 62 63 64 67 68 71 74 | 1 2 6 8 11 12 15 16 22 27 |
Country | DCI | Rank |
Singapore Taiwan Australia Malaysia Philippines India Thailand Vietnam Indonesia | 59 61 62 63 66 68 69 72 76 | 4 5 7 10 13 18 19 24 29 |
Country | DCI | Rank |
Turkey Poland Hungary Russia South Africa | 68 70 73 80 81 | 17 20 26 31 32 |
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Top quartile
Bottom quartile
54
Country ranked by 2020 DCI
55
Four Latam countries reached 5-year best DCI
Q2: Which of these has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member ONLINE?
DCI scores 2016-2020, high, low, 2020
High DCI score
Low DCI score
2020 score
2020 worst 5-year DCI
2020 best 5-year DCI
56
Consequences, 5-year trends
Q.9: You previously mentioned that you or a friend/family member had been treated in an uncivil way online by another person(s). Please tell us if any of the following has ever happened to you or to a friend/family member as a consequence of being treated uncivilly:
% | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Became less trusting of other people online | 40 | 40 | 44 | 46 | 45 |
Was less likely to participate in social media, blogs and forums | 21 | 23 | 27 | 39 | 40 |
Became less trusting of other people offline | 30 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 37 |
Lost sleep | 23 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 33 |
Lower self-esteem | | | | | 29 |
Felt more lonely and alone | | | | | 27 |
Tried to be more constructive in my criticism of other people | 27 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 24 |
Personal reputation was damaged | 10 | 11 | 16 | 26 | 24 |
Lost money | 11 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 23 |
My life became more stressful | 23 | 24 | 29 | 22 | 23 |
Became depressed | 15 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 22 |
% | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Lost a friend | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 |
Negatively affected my school performance | 13 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
Witnesses to the incident tried to defend and help | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17 | 19 |
Intentionally spent less time at school | 9 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 18 |
Had thoughts of suicide | 5 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 17 |
Spent time and energy avoiding the offender | 17 | 17 | 22 | 15 | 17 |
Took out my frustration on another person | 7 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 17 |
Negatively affected my work performance | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Took out my frustration on a co-worker or customer | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 |
Was encouraged to harm myself or others | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
57
Actions taken, 5-year trends
Q.12: Have you ever taken any of the following actions after you were treated in an unsafe or uncivil manner online?
Digital civility challenge items in Bold
% | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Unfriended or blocked the person responsible | | | 50 | 48 | 55 |
Asked my parents for help | 4 | 10 | 42 | 48 | 49 |
Reduced the amount of personal information I share online | 42 | 40 | 37 | 35 | 39 |
I used tighter privacy settings on social media | 44 | 39 | 36 | 34 | 38 |
I stood up for myself | | 30 | 31 | 28 | 34 |
Asked for help from an adult | 2 | 9 | 28 | 30 | 31 |
Reduced the amount of time I spent on social media | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
I defended someone who was treated unsafe or uncivil online | | 22 | 18 | 19 | 25 |
I paused before replying to someone I disagreed with online | | 29 | 24 | 21 | 25 |
I asked help from a friend | | | | | 24 |
% | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
I reported the incident to the website, online service or social media company | | | | | 24 |
I showed respect for other people's point of view | | 19 | 16 | 16 | 21 |
I treated the other person with dignity and respect | | 19 | 15 | 14 | 20 |
Stopped using or canceled some of my social media accounts | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
I tried to remove or correct untrue information that someone posted about me | | | 19 | 17 | 19 |
I confronted the person or persons online | | | 17 | 15 | 18 |
Contacted a teacher or school administrator | 12 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 |
I retaliated by being uncivil to the person who was uncivil to me | 16 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
I reported the incident to the website, online service or social media company | | | | | 24 |
58
Online risk definitions
Intrusive Risks
Unwanted Contact: Being personally contacted (by phone or in person) by someone who obtained your information online but without inviting them to contact you.
Hoaxes, Scams & Frauds The spreading of false rumors (e.g., chain letters), criminal attempts to obtain personal information often for monetary gain (e.g., phishing scams), malicious emails disguised as someone you know (e.g. virus).
Hate Speech: speech that attacks a person or group based on gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability, or sexual orientation.
Discrimination : A person who is discriminated against or excluded based on gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability, or sexual orientation
Behavioral Risks
Treated Mean: Words or messages sent to another person online that are unkind, unfair or malicious.
Trolling: A deliberate act to make someone mad or angry using online or social media comments in a clever, but deceitful manner.
Misogyny : An expression or demonstration of dislike, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women
Terrorism recruiting: An attempt by a terrorist or terrorist organization to recruit a person for the purposes of causing harm.
Online harassment: Threats or other offensive behavior (not sexual solicitation) sent online or posted online for others to see.
Microaggression: Casual insults made towards any marginalized group in society (e.g., religious or ethnic minorities, women, LGBT, people with disabilities, etc…).
Cyberbullying: When the Internet, phones or other devices are used to send or post text, images, or video intended to hurt, embarrass or intimidate another person.
Swatting: The act of deceiving emergency services (e.g., police, fire, medical) into sending an emergency response based on the false report of an ongoing critical incident or crime.
Sexual Risks
Unwanted Sexting Received: Received unwanted sexually explicit messages and imagery.
Sexual solicitation: A person who requests to engage in sexual activities or sexual talk or to give personal sexual information that is unwanted.
Unwanted Sexting Sent: I sent unwanted sexually explicit messages and imagery.
Sextortion: When someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don’t provide them images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money. The perpetrator may also threaten to harm your friends or relatives by using information they have obtained from your electronic devices unless you comply with their demands.
Unwanted sexual attention: unwelcomed sexually oriented teasing, joking or flirting online or via electronic means
Revenge pornography: A sexually explicit portrayal of one or more people distributed without their consent.
Reputational Risks
Doxing: The process of collecting and distributing or posting information about a person (e.g., name, age, email, address, phone number, photographs, etc.) without their permission.
Damage to Personal reputation: Damage or destruction to the image created of you through PERSONAL information you or others shared online in blogs, postings, pictures, tweets, videos, etc.
Damage to Professional/Work reputation: Damage or destruction to the image created of you through work information you or others shared online in blogs, postings, pictures, tweets, videos, etc.
59