Youth Parliament 2025: Young Leaders Confront Cyberbullying

At a time when online harassment is escalating worldwide and young people are increasingly vulnerable to its impacts, the 22nd National Youth Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago convened on 24 November, 2025 to debate a motion on Mitigating the Effects of Cyberbullying.

Thirty-six youth parliamentarians gathered at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago for a five-hour debate infused with rigorous research, personal testimony and evidence-based policymaking proposals, underscoring that cyberbullying is not just an online nuisance but a serious human rights issue.

A highlight of the event was the presentation of the UN Partnership Award for Distinguished Youth Parliamentarian, awarded to Samisha Maharaj of UWI St. Augustine, for using her presentation to underscore the six Sustainable Development Goals which are directly aligned to efforts to prevent and address cyberbullying.

"Youth Parliamentarians: stand tall in knowing you have made laudable strides in your journey as youth leaders," said UN Resident Coordinator ad interim, Joni Musabayana. Today, you demonstrated discipline, empathy, courage and a commitment to the common good."

Participants highlighted how cyberbullying erodes mental health, damages trust and social relationships and undermines the human right to dignity and safety. The Youth Parliamentarians also emphasized that the problem extends beyond screens, following young people into their homes, classrooms and communities.

Youth parliamentarians stressed that responding to cyberbullying is not enough; prevention must be prioritized. Their recommendations included:

• Digital citizenship education
• Empathy-building initiatives
• Mental health support systems
• Parent and teacher engagement
• Youth-driven peer initiatives

The United Nations in Trinidad and Tobago partnered with the Parliament for the second consecutive year, providing financial support and five sessions of capacity development for the Youth Parliamentarians. This partnership is firmly anchored in the UN Youth 2030 Strategy, which affirms that young people must not only be included in national decision-making but be empowered to shape it.

Several UN agencies supported the Youth Parliamentarians' debate preparation:

• UNODC contextualized cyberbullying within digital crime and referenced the newly adopted UN Convention against Cybercrime (October 2025).
• UNICEF shared global and regional data on adolescent mental health impacts and facilitated youth polling through the U-Report platform.
• UN Women and UNFPA examined gender dimensions of online abuse, including image-based violence and coercive online behavior.
• UNESCO guided discussions on AI-driven content moderation and youth inclusion in policymaking

This multi-agency collaboration ensured that youth parliamentarians were equipped with frameworks, data, and tools to strengthen their analysis.