Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive longitudinal analysis of cyberbullying incidents, focusing on gender disparities, conducted from 2019 to 2024 in a Swedish municipality. Our study, which is part of a broader research project examining students' learning environments and expectations for educational development, engaged approximately 6,000 students across grades 4 to 9 and generated over 63,500 data points. The survey was implemented biannually, enabling a detailed exploration of the prevalence and evolution of cyberbullying. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including t-tests, ANOVA, and time-series analysis, reveal key findings: girls consistently report higher rates of cyberbullying compared to boys, with a notable upward trend in reports from 2019 to 2023, followed by a slight decline in 2024. Preliminary findings indicate that girls consistently reported higher rates of cyberbullying than boys, especially in the later years of the study. Notably, non-traditional gender categories such as 'Other', 'Uncertain', and 'Prefer not to answer' demonstrated a significant increase in reported incidents in 2023 and 2024, suggesting a shift in reporting behavior or increased vulnerability. The time-series analysis revealed a general increase in cyberbullying reports up until 2023, followed by a slight decrease in 2024. This trend suggests a potential rise in cyberbullying incidents or an improvement in reporting mechanisms, with the recent decline possibly indicating the impact of targeted interventions. This study underscores the critical role of digital literacy and proactive educational policies in combating cyberbullying and fostering a safer online environment for children and adolescents.