Cyberbullying a Growing Concern

Cyberbullying has been a growing concern for educators and parents for quite some time. Due to the current pandemic, millions of kids are most likely spending an unprecedented amount of time online. This raises a lot of safety concerns from both parents and educators. According to Natasha Tiwari, a psychologist, these unique times “are ripe for encouraging cyberbullying.”

Cyberbullying by the Numbers

A 2018 study from Pew Research found that 59% of teens had experienced some form of cyberbullying (42% offensive name-calling, 32% spreading false rumors, and 25% receiving unsolicited explicit images). A new study from Comparitech found:

• Kids reported being bullied 82.8% at school, 32.5% on the school bus, 19.2% on social media sites/apps, 17% at a physical location not on school grounds, 11% through text messages, 7.9% through video games, 6.8% on the internet (not via social media), 3.8% through phone calls, and 3.3% through email.
• The age breakdown of kids who had been bullied was 47.7% 6-10 year olds, 56.4% 11-13 year olds, 59.9% 14-18 year olds, and 54.3% 19 and older.
• 10.5% of parents surveyed had witnessed their children being cyberbullied.

A new survey from the Anti-Defamation League found that one in four Americans experience severe online harassment, so unfortunately online harassment is an issue for all ages, not just school-aged kids. Stomp Out Bullying has a page dedicated to cyberbullying during COVID-19, and includes recommendations for parents.

How SafeSchools Can Help

Check out our Cyberbullying Prevention Safety Tip video for tips to help keep your school safe. We also have a previous blog with tips on how your school can help control cyberbullying. The SafeSchools Online Training System includes a variety of expert-authored courses dedicated to helping your staff and students prevent incidents of cyberbullying, including: Staff Courses

• Bullying: Recognition & Response
• Cyberbullying
• Student Mental Health

Student Courses

• Bullying & Cyberbullying (Grades 6-8)
• Bullying & Cyberbullying (Grades 9-12)
• Digital Citizenship (Grades 6-8)
• Digital Citizenship (Grades 9-12)

Our SafeSchools Alert Tip Reporting System allows students, staff and parents to confidentially report safety concerns, like cyberbullying, to your administration 24/7/365 via mobile app, text, phone, email, and website. Request a free trial here.