Prevention takes time
Around one in five school students in Germany is affected by cyberbullying. A report by Bavarian public broadcaster BR24 features “Medienhelden”, a programme developed at Freie Universität Berlin. It runs for at least three months and teaches media literacy, empathy and strategies for dealing with digital abuse.
According to the evaluations described in the report, the programme improved media literacy and classroom climate and significantly reduced the risk of aggressive cyberbullying. One-off talks or prevention days, by contrast, were not found to have a lasting effect. These findings concern cyberbullying and the programme studied. [1]
Greece introduces an age threshold
Meanwhile, on 23 October the Greek parliament approved a ban on social media use by children under 15. It is due to take effect on 1 January 2027. Platforms are expected to develop age-verification measures while protecting users’ privacy. [2]
The two approaches address protection in different ways: rules governing access to platforms, and sustained media education intended to give young people practical skills.
What this means for PornLess – and what it does not
The “Medienhelden” findings do not show that any particular self-help programme is effective for problematic pornography use. Cyberbullying prevention and reflecting on pornography use are different subjects.
The research still offers a useful lesson for prevention: ongoing guidance, self-reflection and clear learning steps can offer more than one-off warnings. PornLess therefore provides content and exercises people can use at their own pace, without shame or pressure.
Sources and further reading
[1] BR24: Cyberbullying – How to better protect young people, 26 October 2026.
