EU Child Survey Highlights Reporting Follow-Up as a Priority for Online Platforms
A new EU survey on cyberbullying shows that children want platforms to make reporting easier, provide meaningful follow-up and support victims.
Children want more than a report button when they experience cyberbullying online. Results from an EU-wide survey of 6,343 children aged 12 to 17 show that 54% want social media platforms to take reports seriously and explain what happens next. The finding puts the quality of reporting workflows, not simply their existence, at the centre of the online safety conversation.
The September 2025 survey covered children in all 27 EU member states through the EU Children’s Participation Platform. Its focus was cyberbullying and the steps children want adults and platforms to take. The EU has published the findings as part of its wider work to protect minors online, including Better Internet for Kids initiatives and the Digital Services Act’s emphasis on child safety. The EU Children’s Participation Platform’s cyberbullying findings provide the official context for the survey.
For operators of social platforms, communities, games, marketplaces and apps with social features, the signal is practical. A reporting flow can be technically available while still failing users if it is difficult to find, unclear to complete or followed by silence. Trust depends on whether users understand that a report has been received and whether they are given useful information about the next stage.
What children said platforms should improve
The survey identifies three closely related expectations. Alongside the 54% who want reports to be taken seriously and followed up, 39% want reporting to be easier on an app or website. Another 39% want platforms to provide support for victims of cyberbullying.
| What children want from platforms | Share of survey respondents | Practical implication for a reporting experience |
|---|---|---|
| Reports taken seriously, with information on what happens next | 54% | Provide meaningful acknowledgement and follow-up communication. |
| Easier reporting on apps or websites | 39% | Make the route to report content or conduct straightforward to use. |
| Support for cyberbullying victims | 39% | Consider how affected users can be directed to appropriate support. |
These results do not prescribe a single product design or a new technical standard. They do, however, give platform teams direct evidence about what young users consider missing from existing safety processes. The difference is important: a policy may say that reports are reviewed, while the user experience may leave the person reporting unsure whether anyone saw their submission or what will happen to it.
Reporting needs a visible process
The strongest finding concerns follow-up. For a platform, that can mean designing a process that distinguishes between an acknowledgement that a report was submitted and communication that tells the user what happens next. The survey does not specify the exact wording, timing or outcome messages that platforms should use. It does show that children value being informed after reporting.
That makes reporting a cross-functional workflow rather than a single interface element. A report begins in the product experience, but it may then need to be routed for review, tracked through an internal process and connected to user communication. If those stages are disconnected, the platform may create the silence that the survey findings highlight.
Ease of reporting also deserves attention as its own issue. A form that is hard to locate, difficult to understand or burdensome to complete can deter people before a moderation team has the opportunity to review the problem. The 39% result is a reminder that accessibility and clarity are part of whether a safety process works in practice.
What the findings mean for platform operators
The EU frames the survey within continuing efforts to make the internet safer for children and to incorporate young people’s views. It plans a child-friendly summary and further integration of youth input in the first and second quarters of 2026. That future work is worth watching for platforms that serve, or may be used by, minors in the EU.
The immediate lesson is not that every business needs a complex moderation operation. It is that teams should understand their own reporting journey from a user’s perspective. A proportionate review can start by mapping what happens after a report is filed and checking whether the process has clear ownership.
Useful questions include:
- Can a user quickly identify how to report harmful behaviour or content?
- Does the user receive confirmation that the report was received?
- Is there a defined internal path for review and follow-up?
- Does the platform provide or point users toward relevant support when cyberbullying is involved?
For smaller platform teams, the operational challenge is often consistency. Manual processes can work at low volume, but unclear handoffs make it harder to provide reliable responses as activity grows. Building a clear workflow early can help teams identify where product changes, internal tools or integrations are actually needed, without assuming that a one-size-fits-all approach exists.
Reporting tools are only useful when they fit a reliable process that users can understand. Scalevise helps businesses turn disconnected forms, inboxes and internal handoffs into practical software workflows, improving visibility and reducing avoidable manual work. If your platform needs a clearer path from user report to internal review and follow-up, explore Scalevise custom software development support and request a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the EU cyberbullying survey find about platform reporting?
In the EU survey, 54% of children said they want social media platforms to take reports seriously and inform them about what happens next.
How many children took part in the survey?
The September 2025 online survey included 6,343 children aged 12 to 17 from all 27 EU member states.
What other changes did children want from apps and websites?
Thirty-nine percent wanted reporting to be easier on apps or websites, and 39% wanted platforms to provide support for victims of cyberbullying.
Does the survey create new Digital Services Act requirements?
The published findings are survey results about children’s views on cyberbullying and platform safety. They are framed within the EU’s ongoing child-safety work and the Digital Services Act’s emphasis on protecting minors.
What is expected next from the EU Children’s Participation Platform?
The EU plans a child-friendly summary and further integration of youth input in the first and second quarters of 2026.
Conclusion
The EU survey makes a clear case that reporting cannot be treated as a compliance checkbox or isolated product feature. Children want reporting to be easier, taken seriously and followed by understandable communication. For platforms, that makes the design and operation of reporting workflows a meaningful part of building safer, more trusted online spaces.