April 8, 2015

Technology is expanding the reach and harm of the age-old bully. Defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices,” cyberbullying is done to harass, threaten, humiliate or otherwise hassle a peer via text, on social media, in gaming networks or other online environments.

Over the last decade, we surveyed nearly 15,000 middle and high school students through nine different studies from over 80 different schools throughout the United States. About 25 percent of the students surveyed told us that they have been cyberbullied at some point in their lifetimes. Approximately 8 percent said they were cyberbullied in the 30 days preceding the survey. Similarly, 17 percent admitted they had cyberbullied others at some point in their lifetimes (6 percent in the most recent 30 days).

Based on recent research:

• Adolescent girls are just as likely, if not more likely, than boys to experience cyberbullying as a victim and offender.
• Cyberbullying is related to low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, anger, frustration and a variety of other emotional and psychological problems.
• Cyberbullying is related to other issues in the real world including school problems, anti-social behavior, substance use and delinquency.
• Traditional bullying is still more common than cyberbullying.
• Traditional bullying and cyberbullying are closely related: those who are bullied at school are bullied online and those who bully at school bully online.

First and foremost, youth-serving adults (e.g., educators, parents, law enforcement) should establish that all rules for interacting with people in real life also apply for interacting online and through cell phones. Convey that cyberbullying inflicts harm and causes pain in the real world as well as in cyberspace. Second, cultivate and maintain an open, candid line of communication with kids, so they are ready and willing to come to you when they experience something unpleasant or distressing in cyberspace. Targets of cyberbullying and the bystanders who observe it must know the adults they tell will intervene rationally and logically and not make the situation worse.

In terms of macro-level solutions, work to cultivate a positive climate in schools and other organizations – one that is all about connectedness, belongingness, peer respect, safety, optimism and esprit de corps. Our research demonstrates that students who report a positive climate at school and elsewhere also experience fewer problematic behaviors online and do better offline as well. Finally, we strongly believe in empowering teens to use the power of technology to promote positivity. Online bullying is often devastating because it seems like everyone sees the hurtful content. But the ubiquity of social media and smartphones among teens also means we can help make kindness go viral. From pledge campaigns, to flash mobs to anonymous accounts which compliment students and spread positivity, young people from around the world are spearheading initiatives to truly make a difference.

We have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time, but more research is still necessary. Public attention to the problem of cyberbullying is at an all-time high. As such, good research is necessary to contribute evidence-based insight into the nature of this problem and identify possible solutions. Supplementing quantitative findings with those from thoughtful and comprehensive qualitative inquiries will help better understand the precise nature of some of these relationships.

With these considerations in mind, research will be better able to inform the public conversation about cyberbullying in a way that equips educators, parents, policy makers and others with the information they need to make a positive difference in the lives of adolescents, online and offline.

For more information visit the Cyberbullying Research Center at http://www.cyberbullying.us.