Cyberbullying — Facts and Figures

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Cyberbullying | Facts & Figures | For Parents and Educators | Resources

How common is cyberbullying?
Who are the victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying – boys or girls?
Where are children and youth cyberbullied?
Do children tell others if they are cyberbullied?

How common is cyberbullying?
Research shows that almost one in four children between the ages of 11 and 19 have been the victim of cyberbullying. The same research shows that approximately 65 percent of kids know of someone who has been cyberbullied.

The statistics are frightening:

• 18% of students in grades 6-8 said they had been cyberbullied at least once in the last couple of months; and 6% said it had happened to them 2 or more times (Kowalski et al., 2005);
• 11% of students in grades 6-8 said they had cyberbullied another person at least once in the last couple of months and 2% said they had done it two or more times (Kowalski et al., 2005);
 
• 19% of regular Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 reported being involved in online aggression; 15% had been aggressors, and 7% had been targets; 3% were both aggressors and targets (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004);
• 17% of 6-11 year olds and 36% of 12-17 year olds reported that someone said threatening or embarrassing things about them in e-mails, instant messages, web sites, chat rooms or text messages (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006);
• Cyberbullying has increased dramatically in recent years. In nationally representative surveys of 10-17 year-olds, twice as many children and youth indicated they had been victims and perpetrators of online harassment in 2005 than in1999/2000 (Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2006).

Who are the victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying – boys or girls?
Research suggests girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying.

Of students who had been cyberbullied relatively frequently—at least twice in the months preceding    the study—the same research shows that:

• 62% of students said that they had been cyberbullied by another student at school and 46% had been cyberbullied by a friend;
 
• 55% didn't know who had cyberbullied them.

Of those students who admitted cyberbullying others relatively     frequently:

• 60% had cyberbullied another student at school and 56% had cyberbullied a friend.

(Kowalski et al., 2005 grades 6-8)

Where are children and youth cyber bullied?
A telephone survey of preteens (6-11 year-olds) and teens (12-17 year-olds) revealed that:

• 45% of preteens and 30% of teens who’d been cyberbullied received the menacing messages while at school;
• 44% of preteens and 70% of teens who’d been cyberbullied received the menacing messages at home;
• 34% of preteens and 25% of teens who’d been cyberbullied received the menacing messages while at a friend's house.

(Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006)

Do children tell others if they are cyberbullied?
The same survey found that:

• 51% of preteens and 35% of teens who’d been cyberbullied told their parents;
• 27% of preteens and only 9% of teens who’d been cyberbullied told a teacher;
• 44% of preteens and 72% of teens who’d been cyberbullied told a friend;
• 31% of preteens and 35% of teens who’d been cyberbullied told a brother or sister;
• 16% of preteens and teens who’d been cyberbullied told no one.

(Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2006)

 

Cyberbullying | Facts & Figures | For Parents and Educators | Resources