Cyber Bullying Statistics

Most parents have heard the term "cyber bullying" before. Stories about cyber bullying are common on TV shows and on news outlets. Cyber bullying happens when a child or teen is tormented, threatened, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed, or otherwise targeted by another child or teen using the Internet, mobile phones, or other digital technologies. Although it may seem like something that is unlikely to happen to your kids, cyber bullying affects children everywhere on a daily basis. Cyber bullying may lead to serious complications including anxiety, depression, and even suicide.

The Various Forms of Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying may take various forms, including: sending mean messages, spreading rumors via online or cell messages, posting hurtful or threatening messages, pretending to be someone else online in order to humiliate others, taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them online or through cell phones, and/or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person. Although all of this may come as a shock to you, cyber bulling is actually pretty common among school-aged children and teens. In fact, according to iSafe and BullyingStatistics.org:

• 42% of kids have been bullied while online, while 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once.
• 35% of kids have been threatened while online, nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once.
• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online.
• 53% of kids admit to having said something mean or hurtful to another person online.
• 58% of kids have not told their parents or an adult about something hurtful that happened to them online.
• 1 in 10 adolescents have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without their permission.
• 1 in 5 teens have either posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others.
• Cyber bullying victims are more likely to have low self-esteem and to consider suicide.

How Can Parents Make the Bullying Stop?

Our initial reaction as parents is to put an immediate stop to cyber bullying, but, unfortunately, it's not that easy. Because motives for cyber bullying differ, there is no "one size fits all" solution. Educating our children about this issue is a key preventive measure. Together we can teach children that silence while experiencing hurtful treatment from others is not acceptable. If children stand together and don't allow cyber bullies to embarrass and harass others, the bullying will eventually stop.