Cyberbullying

Bullying took on a new meaning in the twenty-first century with the increased use of communications technologies such as the internet and cell phones. Intimidation that transpired via these technologies is dubbed cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is especially prevalent on social networking sites, and is most commonly experienced by young people.

The term “cyberbullying” was first used by educator Bill Belsey in 2004 in an essay detailing the emerging threat of harassment through the use of information and communication technologies. He described cyberbullying as a pervasive form of intentional harassment by a group or individual acting with hostility toward another person, aided by the internet’s invasive capabilities. The act of cyberbullying, however, was present long before it was given a name. When the internet became a significant source of connectivity near the close of the twentieth century, a new kind of rapport developed between people. Individuals communicating through a computer screen were able to behave and interact differently than they could or normally would face to face. Technology allowed for an anonymity that made bullying easier. Paired with the distancing effect many experienced through the use of such devices, bullying had the potential to be even more vicious than it would be in face-to-face situations.

As awareness of cyberbullying increased, researchers began surveying students about their personal experiences to learn more about the incidence of such harassment among American youth. Teenagers seemed to be the main demographic affected by cyber harassment. In 2000, the Crimes Against Children Research Center interviewed 1,501 young people ages ten to seventeen. At that time, the survey found that one in seventeen children—about 6 percent—had experienced threats or harassment online. This number increased to 9 percent in 2005 and to 11 percent in 2011. Other studies supported these findings. In 2004, the internet safety education website i-Safe surveyed the same number of students between grades four and eight and found that 42 percent of students had been bullied online; 35 percent of those surveyed had been threatened, and many said it had happened more than once.

Many researchers showed rising rates of cyberbullying through the 2010s, as internet access and portable electronic devices became increasingly common with young people. As part of its biannual nationwide survey Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2017, 14.9 percent of high school students surveyed stated that they had been bullied electronically in the previous twelve months. Similarly, the National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2019 that during the 2016–17 school year, 15 percent of the 20 percent of students between the ages of twelve and eighteen who had reported being bullied had experienced this bullying online or by text; this marked an increase over the 2015–16 school year, during which time 11.5 percent of bullied students were bullied online or by text. Because of the anonymity provided by online platforms, there was also a rise in hate speech used to cyberbully during the late 2010s.

In 2013, elevated concern over the possibly devastating effects of unchecked cyberbullying occurred following the suicides of at least seven teenagers in both the United States and the United Kingdom that were linked to incidents of bullying taking place on a largely unfamiliar social application called Ask.fm. The application, which did not have the privacy settings associated with popular social media sites such as Facebook, offered an open forum for questions and answers that allowed for anonymous bullying. However, even more prominent social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat struggled to limit cyberbullying.

Research in the early 2020s revealed that cyberbullying was continuing to grow among teens. A Pew Research Center survey published in 2023 found that about 50 percent of US teens had experienced cyberbullying. The same survey revealed that the most common type of online harassment reported by American teens was name-calling, with 42 percent of those surveyed saying they had experienced this type of bullying online or on their cellphone; another 32 percent reported that someone had spread false rumors about them online. Further, certain demographics were even more likely to report cyberbullying. According to the CDC, in 2021 LGBTQ high schoolers were twice as likely to report being bullied, both online and at school, than their heterosexual peers.

Legislation against Cyberbullying

In late 2006, thirteen-year-old Megan Meier of Missouri committed suicide after a campaign of harassment over the internet. After an investigation, Meier’s death was attributed to repeated cyberbullying via the then-popular social networking website MySpace. There were no laws against cyberbullying at the time, so the offenders—including an adult neighbor—were indicted on charges of “unauthorized access of a computer system with intent to harm another person.” The case incited intense public outrage and prompted many states to take legislative action against cyberbullying; soon, many had passed laws criminalizing it.

Inspired by the case, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez proposed a bill referred to as the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act in an attempt to decrease such tragic incidents at the federal level. However, the bill largely stalled as several congressional members argued that the legislation would conflict with the constitutional right to free speech. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, by late 2023, nearly all US states had legislation and/or policies that specifically addressed cyberbullying. All fifty states and the District of Columbia had more general antibullying legislation in place.

Schools, too, began taking steps to prevent cyberbullying, and many instituted programs of awareness and established punishments for those found guilty. However, although most schools in the United States block social networking sites from school computers, not all have programs teaching students responsible internet use. Additionally, states that do have laws addressing cyberbullying and even school codes often do not include any insight into whether and how schools should intervene in such cases, or even clearly define cyberbullying. Principals are also often conflicted as to whether they have any power to discipline students if the cyberbullying is conducted outside of the school. Some states have statutes reflecting the fact that "federal case law allows schools to discipline students for off-campus behavior that results in a substantial disruption of the learning environment at school," as per the Cyberbullying Research Center. Yet the application of such legislation can be unclear and sometimes controversial.

Campaigns against Cyberbullying

To increase understanding of the issue, many international organizations have dedicated themselves to bringing awareness to the problem of cyberbullying as well as preventing it. Founded in 2005, the STOMP Out Bullying campaign helped over 100,000 students through their HelpChat Crisis Line and partnered with over 45,000 schools to raise awareness of cyberbullying by 2022. In 2007, the US-based National Crime Prevention Council created a public advertising campaign and initiated a contest challenging entrants to create their own public service announcements. Stopbullying.gov, a US government website, provides information on cyberbullying and how to prevent and report it. The Cybersmile Foundation is an international nonprofit organization committed to reducing incidents of cyberbullying and helping victims of cyberbullying regain control of their lives. Several countries, such as Canada and Spain, have a national antibullying day in order to bring awareness to the problem.

People worldwide also use social media to combat cyberbullying. For example, Sarah Ball, who was once cyberbullied, created a Facebook page called Hernando Unbreakable in order to help other victims. She earned attention by posting uplifting messages, updates on antibullying legislation, and examples of hate-based websites on the internet. The video-sharing website YouTube created an antibullying channel designed to encourage teens to speak out against internet harassment. As part of the "Be Best" campaign officially launched in May 2018, First Lady Melania Trump held a summit on cyberbullying in August of that year; the importance of educating the American youth, particularly, about proper online etiquette was one of the foundations of her initiative. However, some commentators expressed concern regarding the effectiveness of her campaign, as President Donald Trump himself frequently used social media posts to disparage opponents and others.

Impact

The rise of cyberbullying in the US has led to increased awareness among the public and in the government and has inspired legislation intended to prevent such offenses. Though cyberbullying is predominantly seen among teenagers, all age groups are affected by this type of harassment. Cyberbullying has had distressing effects on victims and is damaging to their mental and emotional health. Many experience anxiety, depression, and other related stress disorders. Victims have also been known to become isolated and undergo severe changes in behavior and mood. Some have committed suicide as a result of being relentlessly cyberbullied. Anti-cyberbullying campaigns have raised public awareness of different forms of harassment that occur both online and offline.

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