KEY POINTS

• 95% of US teens are online, using the internet daily for school, to play video games, or to use popular social media platforms, such as, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. ^_[1]
• Approximately 37% of online users who are between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied while surfing the internet. 30% of those who have been bullied stated that they have been bullied on multiple occasions. _^[2]
• 81% of students surveyed stated that they would be more likely to intervene in cyberbullying situations if they could do so anonymously. ^_[3]

With the Fall school semester taking place almost exclusively online, for most students in the United States, instances of cyberbullying are almost guaranteed to increase significantly. The following video, from our friends at the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, identifies signs that your child or loved one may exhibit due to cyberbullying, and how to report cases of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying can happen to anyone and is known to be detrimental to one’s mental health. The additional resources section below contains useful information regarding cyberbullying laws and policies by state, as well as other information you can use to combat cyberbullies! Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions regarding cyberbullying, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more useful tidbits.

Additional Resources

• Bullying Laws and Policies in Your State
• Cyberbullying Tip Sheet
• Cyberbullying – National Association of School Psychologists

References

1. Hinduja, Ph.D, Sameer and Justin Patchin Ph.D. “Cyberbullying: Identification, Prevention, and Response.” Accessed July 30, 2019. https://cyberbullying.org/Cyberbullying-Identification-Prevention-Response-2018.pdf.
2. Patchin, Ph.D, Justin. “2019 Cyberbullying Data.” Accessed July 30, 2019, https://cyberbullying.org/2019-cyberbullying-data.
3. “Cyberbullying: The Role of the Witness.” Media Smarts. Accessed July 30, 2019. http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/cyberbulling/cyberbullying-role-witnesses.