Frequently Asked Questions
Bullying involves an intentional negative behavior. It typically involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time and there is an imbalance of power or strength, which can be real or perceived.
As discussed in the toolkit, there are multiple ways that students and adults can support a child being bullied, and stay safe doing it.
Students/Peers
- Don’t support the bullying behavior (walk away, get others to walk away, don’t engage in behaviors like laughing, pointing, video-recording, etc. that support the student who is bullying).
- Choose not to repeat gossip.
- Support target in private (Say things like “I’m sorry that happened to you, do you want to sit with me at lunch, do you want to walk to class with me, is there an adult you can talk to about this, you don’t deserve that treatment, etc.).
- Alert an adult (Let an adult know about the situation, where, when, who was involved, etc. This can be done in person or anonymously if the school provides the appropriate reporting format).
- If you are friends with the student who is bullying, talk to them privately (Say things like, “hey that wasn’t right, that’s not cool to pick on them, that’s really mean, stop being a jerk, knock it off, you’re going to get in trouble if you keep doing that).
- Get involved in a positive movement in your school or community so that you can support others in positive ways.
Adults
- Intervene immediately on any inappropriate behavior. Stop the behavior, identify the behavior witnessed, address all involved and follow-up with those involved.
- While some definitions say the behavior has to be repeated in order for it to be bullying, it could be a behavior that has been repeated, but this is the first time you are seeing it. So intervene.
- Support how they feel and let them know that no one deserves to be abused or mistreated.
- Help them brainstorm solutions and ways that would make them feel safer.
- Make sure other adults that interact with the children involved are also aware of the issue so that they too can be supportive and intervene when necessary (parents, teachers, administrator, counselor, etc.).
- Listen.
- Be there in the moment.
- Model respectful behavior.
- Connect a bullied child to safe adults in school so they have someone they can count on when needed.
- If necessary, refer the child and parents to an administrator to help them develop a safety plan.
- Go to a different person to report at school, at home or in the community. Don’t give up!
- Tattling or snitching assumes that you are doing something to hurt someone. By reporting peer abuse, you are trying to help someone FROM BEING hurt and stop the person from being hurtful.
- Having empathy for another individual that is being intentionally hurt and trying to intervene to stop the abuse is the right and moral thing to do.
There is a lot of research that shows that all children involved in abusive incidents are at risk for long-term physical and emotional implications that can carry into adulthood.
Children/Youth Who Bully Others
- May feel it is acceptable or deserved.
- May escalate into more violent or inappropriate behaviors as they grow up.
- May be bullying others as a way to exert power. Adults need to show youth how to use their power positively.
- May be mistreated themselves and are getting their feelings out in inappropriate behaviors on others.
Research tells us that when children/youth bully others and that behavior is left to continue, it tends to escalate and lead to other at-risk behaviors.
Children/Youth Who Witness Bullying
- May feel helpless because they do not know what to do. We need to teach them good upstander behavior.
- May feel that it is hopeless because adults are not intervening upon bullying behaviors.
- May feel that it is acceptable behavior.
- May feel unsafe.
- Fearful they may be next if they do anything.
- Guilty because they participated or ignored it.
- Might have diminished empathy for the child bullied.
The feelings experienced by children/youth witnessing bullying behavior: helpless, hopeless, unsafe, fearful and guilty are powerful feelings that can negatively impact a child/youth’s perception of the world and a positive outlook for their future.
In Pennsylvania, schools are required to have a policy, practices and procedures for bullying prevention and intervention. The school can take their support further to improve school climate by:
- Implementing a multi-tiered approach in their school.
- Utilize evidence-based or research-based programs.
- Survey students, parents and teachers to collect data and utilize data to inform their practices and decisions.
- Partner with community-based organizations where children from their district go and institute same messages and same practices.
- Talk to children/youth about bullying behavior being unacceptable and give them strategies to prevent and intervene in bullying behavior.
- Teach social emotional skills to students.
- Supervise children/youth so that there is an adult presence even in unstructured times.
- Involve parents and communities in efforts.
- Train staff on bullying prevention and intervention best practices.
Student voice is critical in developing a positive school climate. They are experiencing school in a way that adults do not, they know what is happening at the school, how it feels and what is acceptable. Adults can inspire and empower students to use their voice to help impact positive changes in their educational environments. Students benefit from building positive peer-to-peer connections, and engaging in leadership and advocacy skills. Giving our children/youth a voice in what a positive and supportive school climate looks and feels like, gives students positive building blocks that will carry into adulthood.
There are behaviors that go beyond bullying and are more serious. It is a parent and school’s responsibility, if a behavior is known, to intervene and follow specified protocol to resolve.
- Slander.
- Libel.
- Defamation of Character.
- Discrimination.
- Harassment/Sexual Harassment.
- Protected classes.
- Disorderly Conduct.
- Terroristic Threats.
- Stalking.
- Assault (Simple and Aggravated) .
- Possession/Distribution of Child Pornography.
- Hate Crimes.
- Silence gives tacit approval and permission.
- Silence allows hatred to grow into violence.
- Silence encourages the aggressor and further victimizes the target.
- Remember, everything we PERMIT we PROMOTE.
- If you are friends with the person, encourage them to talk with someone about how they are feeling.
- Whether the person agrees to reach out or not, immediately report what you think to a trusted adult who can help. This can be through a one-on-one conversation or through an anonymous helpline.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255
Safe@Say (844) 723-2729
Office of Safe Schools Consultline (855) 716-0424
Crisis Text Line – text CONNECT to 741741
A few years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gathered a number of bullying experts and prevention specialists together to think through this important question, Ultimately, they arrived at the following definition, where bullying is “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated” (Gladden, Vivolo-Kantor, Hamburger, & Lumpkin, 2014:7). The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) biennial Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) found in 2017 (the most recent year available) that 19% of high schoolers (22.3% of females and 15.6% of males) indicated they were bullied at school over the last year (Kann et al., 2018). With regard to offending, estimates are hard to come by because the YRBS only collects victimization data and no other published study involves a national sample of American youth. However, new data from Hinduja and Patchin (2019) involving a nationally-representative sample of approximately 5,000 middle and high schoolers in the US indicates that 30.4% have bullied others at school.
Cyberbullying is defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices” (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). In this definition, you can see that the behavior has to be intentional, involve harm inflicted multiple times, and use some form of communications technology that we are familiar with – phones, tablets, desktop or laptop computers, gaming platforms, etc.
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
It is a different delivery method, one that often increases the reach and extent of the harm. The aggressor can mask their identity behind their device using fake accounts or secondary screennames – or even boldly use their own personal accounts transparently without really feeling like they’ll experience any consequences. Second, the hurtful actions of an aggressor can quickly go viral; that is, the large number of people (at school, in the neighborhood, in the city, in the world!) can be involved in a cyber-attack on a target or at least find out about the incident really fast. The perception, then, is that absolutely everyone knows about it and that it is blowing up. The fact that it is easier to be cruel using typed words (or pictures or video clips) rather than spoken words face-to-face also contributes to the problem.
We do not know. We do know that the vast majority of users participate on these social media sites responsibly, respectfully, and at least neutrally. Only a minority of users abuse each site/app on which they interact with others. We want every teen to understand that most people are doing the right thing online, and are growing in their maturity and character, and not making life miserable for others on social media or via texting or gaming.
While there are some differences found in the research, overall it appears that girls are slightly more likely to report being the target of cyberbullying than boys. More studies have reported either that girls are more likely to be victims or that there are no gender differences in cyberbullying. When looking at lifetime experiences versus more recent experiences, the prevalence rates are even higher for girls. For more information, see the articles below.
- Baldry, A. C., Farrington, D. P., & Sorrentino, A. (2017). School bullying and cyberbullying among boys and girls: Roles and overlap. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 26(9), 937-951.
- Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2008). Cyberbullying: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Related to Offending and Victimization. Deviant Behavior, 29(2), 129-156.
- Li, Q. (2005). New Bottle but Old Wine: A Research of Cyberbullying in Schools. Computers in Human Behavior, 23(4), 1777-1791.
- Ybarra, M. L., Diener-West, M., & Leaf, P. J. (2007). Does online harassment constitute bullying? An exploration of online harassment by known peers and online-only contacts. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S51-58.
- Floros, G.D., Simos, K. E., Fisoun, V., Dafouli, E., and Geroukalis, D. (2013). Adolescent online cyberbullying in Greece: The impact of parental online security practices, bonding, and online impulsiveness. Journal of School Health, 83(6), 445-453.
- Schneider, S.K., O’Donnell, L, Stueve, A., and Coulter, R.W.S. (2012). Cyberbullying, school bullying, and psychological distress: A regional census of high school students. American Journal of Public Health, 102(1), 171-177.
Actually, when it comes to cyberbullying, the concept of “stranger danger” is not usually accurate. According to Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying, 21.1% of victims said the cyberbullying perpetrator was a friend, 20% said it was an ex-friend, and 26.5% said it was someone else from school. Only 6.5% said the aggressor was a stranger. Articles published in the Journal of Adolescent Health also found that most youth are victimized by someone that they know, and the conflict that prompts the harassment often originates at school.
- Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Bullying beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications (ISBN: 9781412966894).
- Felmlee, D., & Faris, R. (2016). Toxic ties: Networks of friendship, dating, and cyber victimization. Social Psychology Quarterly, 79(3), 243-262.
- Kowalski, R. M., & Limber, S. P. (2007). Electronic Bullying Among Middle School Students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S22-S30.
- Ybarra, M. L., Diener-West, M., & Leaf, P. J. (2007). Examining the Overlap in Internet Harassment and School Bullying: Implications for School Intervention. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S42-S50.
- Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications (Corwin Press). 2nd Edition. ISBN: 1483349934. http://www.cyberbullyingbook.com
Conventional wisdom would have us believe that since technology has exploded over the last decade and stories of cyberbullying are frequently mentioned in the news, it is likely more prevalent than traditional, schoolyard bullying. However, research demonstrates that this is not the case (at least not yet). Most studies that have collected data on both behaviors show that bullying still happens more frequently at school than online.
- Sabella, R. A., Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2013). Cyberbullying myths and realities. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2703-2711.
- Wang, J., Nansel, T. R., & Iannotti, R. J. (2011). Cyber Bullying and Traditional Bullying: Differential Association with Depression. Journal of Adolescent Health, 48(4): 415–417.
Actually, no. On average, about 1/3rd to 1/4th of middle and high school students in America have been the target of cyberbullying at some point in their lifetimes. So the majority have not experienced it.
- Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2012). Cyberbullying: Neither an Epidemic Nor a Rarity. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(5), 539-543.
- Patchin, J. W. & Hinduja, S. (2012). Cyberbullying: An Update and Synthesis of the Research (pp. 13-36). In J. W. Patchin and S. Hinduja (Eds.). Cyberbullying Prevention and Response: Expert Perspectives. New York: Routledge.
- Sabella, R. A., Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2013). Cyberbullying myths and realities. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2703-2711.
The rates of cyberbullying are actually holding quite steady over time (with some very slight increases or decreases here and there). There are three studies that we are aware of that have explored cyberbullying experiences over time. One was conducted by Lisa Jones and her colleagues at the University of New Hampshire. Examining the three waves of the Youth Internet Safety Survey (2000, 2005, 2010), they find a slight increase in cyberbullying behaviors over that time period (from 6% to 9% to 11%). But these rates don’t cover the most recent five year period. The second data source (the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey) also showed a slight increase from 2009 to 2011 (6.2% to 9%), but then a decrease from 2011 to 2013 (9% to 6.7%) before an increase to 11.5% in 2015 (the most recent data available). Finally the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, started to measure electronic bullying in 2011. In 2015 (the most recent year available), 15.5% of students reported that they were bullied electronically, compared to 14.8% in 2013 and 16.2% in 2011.
- Jones, L. M., Mitchell, K. J., Finkelhor, D. (2013). Online harassment in context: Trends from three Youth Internet Safety Surveys. Psychology of Violence, 3(1), 53-69.
- https://cyberbullying.org/facts/
Yes, this is true. As of 2019, every state has a bullying law, but what they require of schools varies among states. That said, all 50 states now require school districts to adopt policies prohibiting bullying of students. Most do it through “laws,” and others do it through “administrative rules” (like Montana). For more information, please see this link:
Numerous studies reveal that being cyberbullied negatively affects one’s physical health (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010; Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014; Sourander et al., 2010), emotional health, (Cowie, 2013; Cross, Lester, & Barnes, 2015; Ortega et al., 2012), psychological health (Kowalski et al., 2014; Moore et al., 2017; Nielsen, Tangen, Idsoe, Matthiesen, & Magerøy, 2015), academic success (Kowalski et al., 2014; Schoeler, Duncan, Cecil, Ploubidis, & Pingault, 2018), overall mental health (Chang et al., 2013; deLara, 2018; Goebert, Else, Matsu, Chung-Do, & Chang, 2011; Kaess, 2018; Landstedt & Persson, 2014), and the behavioral choices that a student makes (Hinduja & Patchin, 2007; Quinn & Stewart, 2018; Schultze-Krumbholz, Jäkel, Schultze, & Scheithauer, 2012). Interestingly, those who cyberbully others are more likely to be involved in traditional bullying, substance abuse, smoking, drunkenness, delinquency, suicidal ideation (Beckman, Hagquist, & Hellström, 2012; Chan & Wong, 2019; Hinduja & Patchin, 2007; Schultze-Krumbholz & Scheithauer, 2009). They also tend to have lower self-esteem, lower self-efficacy, lower empathy, more negative emotions, and increased psychomatic issues (Bergmann & Baier, 2018; Patchin & Hinduja, 2010; Sourander et al., 2010; Wong, Chan, & Cheng, 2014).
- Beckman, L., Hagquist, C., & Hellström, L. (2012). Does the association with psychosomatic health problems differ between cyberbullying and traditional bullying? Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 17(3-4), 421-434.
- Bergmann, M., & Baier, D. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of cyberbullying perpetration. Findings from a German representative student survey. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(2), 274.
- Chan, H. C., & Wong, D. S. (2019). Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying perpetration: Examining the psychosocial characteristics of Hong Kong male and female adolescents. Youth & Society, 51(1), 3-29.
- Chang, F. C., Lee, C. M., Chiu, C. H., Hsi, W. Y., Huang, T. F., & Pan, Y. C. (2013). Relationships among cyberbullying, school bullying, and mental health in Taiwanese adolescents. Journal of School Health, 83(6), 454-462.
- Cowie, H. (2013). Cyberbullying and its impact on young people’s emotional health and well-being. The Psychiatrist Online, 37(5), 167-170.
- Cross, D., Lester, L., & Barnes, A. (2015). A longitudinal study of the social and emotional predictors and consequences of cyber and traditional bullying victimisation. International Journal of Public Health, 60(2), 207-217.
- deLara, E. W. (2018). Consequences of childhood bullying on mental health and relationships for young adults. Journal of child and family studies, 1-11.
- Goebert, D., Else, I., Matsu, C., Chung-Do, J., & Chang, J. Y. (2011). The impact of cyberbullying on substance use and mental health in a multiethnic sample. Maternal and child health journal, 15(8), 1282-1286.
- Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2007). Offline consequences of online victimization: School violence and delinquency. Journal of School Violence, 6(3), 89-112.
- Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 14(3), 206-221.
- Kaess, M. (2018). Bullying: peer-to-peer maltreatment with severe consequences for child and adolescent mental health. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 27(8), 945-947.
- Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2014). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1073.
- Landstedt, E., & Persson, S. (2014). Bullying, cyberbullying, and mental health in young people. Scandinavian journal of public health, 42(4), 393-399.
- Moore, S. E., Norman, R. E., Suetani, S., Thomas, H. J., Sly, P. D., & Scott, J. G. (2017). Consequences of bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World journal of psychiatry, 7(1), 60.
- Nielsen, M. B., Tangen, T., Idsoe, T., Matthiesen, S. B., & Magerøy, N. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder as a consequence of bullying at work and at school. A literature review and meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 21, 17-24.
- Ortega, R., Elipe, P., Mora‐Merchán, J. A., Genta, M. L., Brighi, A., Guarini, A., . . . Tippett, N. (2012). The emotional impact of bullying and cyberbullying on victims: a European cross‐national study. Aggressive Behavior, 38(5), 342-356.
- Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2010). Cyberbullying and Self-Esteem. Journal of School Health, 80(12), 616-623.
- Quinn, S. T., & Stewart, M. C. (2018). Examining the long-term consequences of bullying on adult substance use. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(1), 85-101.
- Schoeler, T., Duncan, L., Cecil, C. M., Ploubidis, G. B., & Pingault, J.-B. (2018). Quasi-experimental evidence on short-and long-term consequences of bullying victimization: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 144(12), 1229.
- Schultze-Krumbholz, A., Jäkel, A., Schultze, M., & Scheithauer, H. (2012). Emotional and behavioural problems in the context of cyberbullying: A longitudinal study among German adolescents. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 17(3-4), 329-345.
- Schultze-Krumbholz, A., & Scheithauer, H. (2009). Social-behavioral correlates of cyberbullying in a German student sample. Zeitschrift für Psychologie/Journal of Psychology, 217(4), 224-226.
- Sourander, A., Klomek, A. B., Ikonen, M., Lindroos, J., Luntamo, T., Koskelainen, M., . . . Helenius, H. (2010). Psychosocial risk factors associated with cyberbullying among adolescents: A population-based study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(7), 720-728.
- Wong, D. S., Chan, H. C. O., & Cheng, C. H. (2014). Cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among adolescents in Hong Kong. Children and Youth Services Review, 36, 133-140.
Actually, yes, they do. In J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School District (2000), the court made it clear that schools do have the authority to discipline students when speech articulated or behavior committed off‐campus results in a clear disruption of the school environment. If any off-campus behavior results in a “substantial disruption” at school, they can intervene.
Moreover, if students are denied the opportunity to learn in a safe environment (because of cyberbullying), school officials who fail to act may also be found liable under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and/or Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972.
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2011). Cyberbullying: A review of the legal issues facing educators. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 55(2), 71-78.
Most cyberbullying is done by regular kids who are getting revenge for some real or perceived threat or injury, or by those who think they are just joking around. According to Englander (2008): ‘‘Cyberbullies themselves identify their own anger and desire for revenge as the major immediate motive for engaging in cyberbullying. A second motive is identified by students who report that they engage in cyberbullying ‘as a joke.’” They aren’t just “mean kids” or those who are marginalized.
- Sabella, R. A., Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2013). Cyberbullying myths and realities. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2703-2711.
- Englander, E. K. (2008). Research brief: Cyberbullying & bullying in Massachusetts: Frequency & motivations. http://webhost.bridgew.edu/marc/MARC%20findings%20summary%202008.pdf.
I would first convey that I am there for them, and that they are not to blame for being targeted. I would hear what they have to say about what happened. Mostly, the other person wants to be heard, and for their voice to be validated. They don’t want the problem to blow up into a huge deal; rather, they often wish that it would quickly and quietly go away. They’re not looking for retribution in most cases, they’re just looking to move on with their life without long-term fallout. I would brainstorm with them possible options they can now take to get help. Furthermore, I would discuss how there are always going to be haters and trolls out there who are often jealous or envious or dealing with their own issues and want to take out their frustrations on others.
Also, I would remind a peer who is being cyberbullied that they do have some control over their online experiences. I would tell them to set up protections within their devices and on their social media accounts to block texters, “friends,” and followers that are more hurtful than helpful in their lives. Also, I would tell them to report (to their cell phone service provider or the social media sites and apps) any individuals who are using those technologies to mistreat, embarrass, or threaten others. Such behavior is a violation of the site or app’s Terms of Service, and the companies have the authority to delete content or disable accounts of those who fail to follow the rules. I would reassure the person by informing them that when they report on someone by clicking “Report” within social media apps, the person on whom they are reporting does not know who it was that filed the complaint. Their privacy is protected. The site or app may not respond immediately, but if reports start to pile up about a particular person or account, the administrators of the site or app will take appropriate action.
We believe in the power of technology to promote positivity, and the power of youth to make kindness go viral. Online bullying is awful because it seems like everyone sees the hurtful content and can spread it or pile on top of the harm with their own cruel statements. But the fact that social media use is so widespread among teens also means that we can use it as a tool for good, far and wide. From pledge campaigns, to flash mobs, to anonymous social media feeds which compliment random students for being awesome, young people from around the world are spearheading initiatives to really make a difference. We recommend students put their heads together and think about what can really impact their own school, and get help and resources from educators there who can support them, and then do something epic to accomplish long-lasting change!