Cyberbullying: Is It Really An Epidemic?

CYBER BULLYING IS IT REALLY AN EPIDEMIOC? Bullying in America is so prevalent that the CDC has named it a public health issue. Rather than helping to eliminate bullying, modern technology has created new ways for bullies to act. Elementary School Middle School High School - 2010 STUDY 40,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS of students ЗУ 7.5% of students FEAR HAVE BEEN MADE being made fun of FUN of because of their appearance 47% V. had been bullied in the past year 6% 4% of students fear of students have been being physically hurt by another student physically aggressive with other students 50% of students have stayed home because they were fearful at school had bullied another student in the past year of students have 4% З% skipped school because they fear being physically or emotionally hurt Gyberbullying: A Rising Trend What is cyberbullying? Any type of SOCIAL AGGRESSION carried out through technology, such as SOCIAL MEDIA, 60%of parents buy cell phones for their middle schoolers making them the most convenient tool for would-be TEXT MESSAGES, OR CHAT ROOMS. cyberbullies. In Massachusetts alone, 18-20% of children IBY 3rd GRADE had cell phones CYBERBULLYING is different from "ordinary" bullying because it's more DIFFICULT TO AVOID, and it can often be carried out ANONYMOUSLY. How common is it? 43% of teens aged 13-17 HAVE EXPERIENCED cyberbullying in the past year 95% of teens who HAVE WITNESSED cyberbullying on social media have ignored the behavior ONLY BUT 1 OUT OF 6 PARENTS 52% of parents are WORRIED that their child will be bullied online are AWARE OF the current scope and intensity of the CYBERBULLYING PROBLEM Females are more likely 51% VS. 37% TO TAKE PART IN CYBERBULLYING THAN MALES of females of males Different Perceptions of Social Networks 69% of teens and 85% of adults say their friends are "MOSTLY KIND" on social networks 20% of teens and 5% of adults say their friends are "MOSTLY UNKIND" on social networks Why teens cyberbully to show off to friends to be mean 14% | 16% | 21% 28% some other reason to embarrass for fun or entertainment 58% 58% the victim "deserved it" to get back at someone Who has been cyberbullied 13-year-olds 14-year-olds 15-year-olds 16-year-olds 17-year-olds 36% 41% 54% 52% 39% Bullying: Surprising Demographics OF STUDENTS IN THE POPULAR STUDENTS LGBT COMMUNITY are regularly bullied 80% have experienced cyberbullying at school, too. Biracial and multiracial students are more likely to become VICTIMS OF Bullying among AFRICAN AMERICAN adolescents is significantly LESS PREVALENT than bullying among CAUCASIAN and HISPANIC students BULLYING than students who identify as a single race. Adult bullying experience Witnessed No bullying Currently bullied Bullied in the past bullying experience Ages 18-29 27% 22% 29% 23% Ages 30-49 50% 47% 49% 48% Ages 50-64 23% 30% 22% 30% Bullying Risk Factors For BULLIES For VICTIMS Witnessing violence at home Changing school frequently between parents or siblings, can lead to violence at school, for 54% of students. Children whose families move frequently are at a higher risk of being bullied. Low social status Lack of supervision Children with low social status can use Lack of proper adult supervision puts bullying to distract from their own difficulties. vulnerable potential victims at risk for bullying. Witnessing bullying at school Children who witness bullying at school are more likely to emulate it. Overly-permissive parenting Bullies and Victims: A lifetime of Problems for Both Suicide Truancy Both the bully and the victim are susceptible to suicide; the bully even more so. I60,000 feens 28% of bullying victims report having CONSIDERED SUICIDE. SKIP SCHOOL on a given day because of bullying. Interrupted education 1 IN 10 STUDENTS will drop out of school because of persistent bullying. Crime Drugs & alcohol of boys identified as bullies in grades 6-9 had three or more Both bullies and their victims 40% are at a greater risk of becoming dependent on drugs and/or alcohol -later in life. BEER arrests by age 30. So Whał's Being Done? In NYC, the DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT (2010) required all city schools to report incidents of bullying. DESPITE THIS 80% ZEГО during the 2012-2013 school year including a school that had a fatal stabbing REPORTED of New York City INCI OF BULLYING SCHOOLS Teachers intervene only 20-30% report the incident to an aduit of students who are bullied only 4% of the fime How Efective Are Anti-Bullying Campaigns? Montana is the ONLY STATE that MT DOESN'T HAVE ANTI-BULLYING LAWS. However, research suggests that ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGNS IN SCHOOLS may actually HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. Efective Anti-Bullying Gampaigns INEFFECTIVE OCAMPAIGNS |USE FEAR to spread their message INFLATE EXAGGERATE bullying statistics their success rate EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGNS PROMOTE TRAIN STAFF REINFORCE O understanding of bullying's motives to respond to problems effectively positive behavior American Psychological Association CDC.org DoSomething.org GreatSchools.org SOURCES National Institute of Child Health KATHERMAN BRIGGS & GREENBERG NCES.ed.gov StopBullying.gov IN JU RY