Cyberbullying Statistics

Cyberbullying statistics refers to Internet bullying. Cyberbullying is a form of teen violence that can do lasting harm to young people. Bullying statistics show that cyberbullying is a serious problem among teens. By being more aware of cyberbullying, teens and adults can help to fight it.

Cyberbullying affects many adolescents and teens on a daily basis. Cyberbullying involves using technology, like cell phones and the Internet, to bully or harass another person. Cyberbullying can take many forms:

• Sending mean messages or threats to a person's email account or cell phone
• Spreading rumors online or through texts
• Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages
• Stealing a person's account information to break into their account and send damaging messages
• Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person
• Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet
• Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person

Cyberbullying can be very damaging to adolescents and teens. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Also, once things are circulated on the Internet, they may never disappear, resurfacing at later times to renew the pain of cyberbullying.

Many cyberbullies think that bullying others online is funny. Cyberbullies may not realize the consequences for themselves of cyberbullying. The things teens post online now may reflect badly on them later when they apply for college or a job. Cyberbullies can lose their cell phone or online accounts for cyberbullying. Also, cyberbullies and their parents may face legal charges for cyberbullying. If it was sexual in nature or involved sexting, the results can include being registered as a sex offender. Teens may think that if they use a fake name they won't get caught, but there are many ways to track some one who is cyberbullying.

Despite the potential damage of cyberbullying, it is alarmingly common among adolescents and teens. According to Cyberbullying statistics from the i-SAFE foundation:

• Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
• More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.
• Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
• Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.

The Harford County Examiner reported similarly concerning cyber bullying statistics:

• Around half of teens have been the victims of cyberbullying
• Only 1 in 10 teens tells a parent if they have been a cyberbully victim
• Fewer than 1 in 5 cyber bullying incidents are reported to law enforcement
• 1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras
• About 1 in 5 teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others
• Girls are somewhat more likely than boys to be involved in cyber bullying

The Cyberbullying Research Center also did a series of surveys that found these cyber bullying statistics:

• Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most popular form of technology and a common medium for cyber bullying
• About half of young people have experienced some form of cyberbullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly
• Mean, hurtful comments and spreading rumors are the most common type of cyberbullying
• Girls are at least as likely as boys to be cyberbullies or their victims
• Boys are more likely to be threatened by cyberbullies than girls
• Cyberbullying affects all races
• Cyberbullying victims are more likely to have low self esteem and to consider suicide

Parents and teens can do some things that help reduce the cyberbullying statistics:

• Talks to teens about cyber bullying, explaining that it is wrong and can have serious consequences. Make a rule that teens may not send mean or damaging messages, even if someone else started it, or suggestive pictures or messages or they will lose their cell phone and computer privileges for a time.
• Encourage teens to tell an adult if cyber bullying is occurring. Tell them if they are the victims they will not be punished, and reassure them that being bullied is not their fault.
• Teens should keep cyber bullying messages as proof that the cyberbullying is occurring. The teens' parents may want to talk to the parents of the cyberbully, to the bully's Internet or cell phone provider, and/or to the police about the messages, especially if they are threatening or sexual in nature.
• Try blocking the person sending the messages. It may be necessary to get a new phone number or email address and to be more cautious about giving out the new number or address.
• Teens should never tell their password to anyone except a parent, and should not write it down in a place where it could be found by others.
• Teens should not share anything through text or instant messaging on their cell phone or the Internet that they would not want to be made public - remind teens that the person they are talking to in messages or online may not be who they think they are, and that things posted electronically may not be secure.
• Encourage teens never to share personal information online or to meet someone they only know online.
• Keep the computer in a shared space like the family room, and do not allow teens to have Internet access in their own rooms.
• Encourage teens to have times when they turn off the technology, such as at family meals or after a certain time at night.
• Parents may want to wait until high school to allow their teens to have their own email and cell phone accounts, and even then parents should still have access to the accounts. 

If teens have been the victims or perpetuators of cyberbullying they may need to talk to a counselor or therapist to overcome depression or other harmful effects of cyberbullying.

Bullying and Depression

Bullying and depression are often related. Depression affects both bullies and their victims. Victims of cyber bullying may be at even higher risk for depression. Learn about bullying and depression and how you can help stop bullying.

Researchers have discovered a strong link between bullying and depression. Depression is an illness that is not totally understood, and may have a variety of causes, but it is clear that it can have a relationship to bullying. Both bullies and their victims are more likely to suffer from depression than youth who are not involved in bullying. This connection can be long-lasting; people who are bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression as an adult than children not involved in bullying.

Depression can have a number of serious effects on a person's life. The link between bullying and depression can also extend to other problems, like:

• Low self esteem
• Anxiety
• High rates of school absence
• Physical illness

Teens who commit suicide often suffer from depression. Experts hesitate to say that bullying is a direct cause of suicide, but it may be a factor in a teen's depression.

The relationship between bullying and depression is not limited to face-to-face bullying. The Cyberbullying Research Center found that victims of cyber bullying were more likely to suffer from low self esteem and suicidal thoughts. They suggest further research needs to be done to see if low self esteem is a result of being cyber bullied or if it makes a person more likely to be a target of cyber bullying. A recent study by the US National Institutes of Health, reported by Reuters, found that victims of cyber bullying showed more signs of depression than other bullying victims. This may be because cyber bullying can be more relentless and more frightening or discouraging, especially if the bully is anonymous.

Parents, friends, and other concerned people should be on the lookout for signs of depression in children and teens, especially those who have been bullies or bully victims. Some signs of depression can include:

• Long lasting sadness or irritability, including unexplained outbursts of crying or anger
• Sudden loss of interest in activities the person usually enjoys
• Withdrawal from others
• Changes in sleep patterns, either sleeping a lot or not being able to sleep
• Sudden changes in appetite or eating habits
• Always feeling tired or slow
• Being restless, anxious, or worried
• Not being able to concentrate or think clearly
• Feeling worthless, guilty, helpless, or hopeless
• Aches and pains with no obvious physical cause
• Thinking or talking about death or suicide, such as saying that the world would be better without them or that they wish that they were dead
• Giving away prized possessions or saying good-bye to people can be sign of suicidal thoughts or intentions

If a person is suffering from depression, a visit to a doctor or counselor can start them on the road to recovery. If a person is having suicidal thoughts or has attempted suicide, this should be considered an emergency and the person should get immediate medical help from a doctor, by calling 9-1-1, or by going to the emergency room. There are also local and national suicide hotlines that can help people who are having suicidal thoughts.

Bullying Interventions

With the growing problem of bullying among children and teens, bullying interventions are becoming more and more of a responsibility of parents and teachers. Bullying interventions are necessary to prevent bullying or to stop it before it goes too far.

While it is not always possible to prevent cases of bullying, it is important to know what to do as a parent, a teacher or other school official in order to stop bullying with various types of bullying interventions. Through this tactic, bullies might be able to be successfully put in their place with an end to the bullying. There are a few different steps and ways you can go about preparing bullying interventions. It is best to find a technique that works with different types of bullying, which can range from physical to emotional as well as cyberbullying. According to a study put together by the Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System of the London Family Court Clinic, there are a few different methods for bullying interventions.

First, intervene immediately. Do not overlook a potential bullying situation. It is then important to talk to both the victim and the bully separately. If more than one student is involved, which does happen in many cases of bullying, talk to each one separately. Be prepared for the bully to minimize and deny their actions. By speaking to each person involved separately, you will have the best chance of figuring out the truth of the matter.

Second, remind the bully about the rules established in the school. Or if you are a parent looking to handle the situation, remind them of the rules in your home or in your neighborhood. Bullying is a crime that often occurs with physical violence, slander, and libelous statements that can be made online or spread viciously through rumours. Remind them that by committing these acts, they are susceptible to punishment by the justice system. If this is a first time offense and the results are minimal, make sure the punishment fits the crime. However, if this bully has continually hurt victims, be sure the consequences are much more severe. When talking with the victim, be sure they understand everything possible is being done to ensure a similar instance does not happen again. You want to make sure and gain their trust and confidence. The effects of bullying can be severely detrimental to the victim not only physically but also emotionally. This is why it is important to help them during the process to feel safe and secure again. If you are a parent, be sure to involve the other child (s) parents in the situation to help reach a resolution. If you are a teacher or school administrator, be sure to call both of the parents of the children or teens involved to help reach an understanding and possible resolution. It is important for parents to make sure their children are not taking on the characteristics of bullying. If they are, they need to be stopped before that type of behavior gets out of control. For some children and teens anger management is a serious problem that may need to be addressed in a counseling type setting to help stop the bully from continuing their antics and damage to their peers.

After the punishment has been delivered continuing watching the behavior of the bully. If you are a parent, be sure to keep that child away from your own and help your child or teen learn to avoid bullying. One way to prevent bullying is to help your child develop good self-esteem. Your teen or child doesn't have to be the strongest kid in the class or on the block to avoid bullying, but good, strong self-esteem is a great way to help them know how to handle a potential bullying situation.

Unfortunately bullies target the weak because they know they are an easy target. Do your best to ensure your child is not an easy target. Along with self-esteem, encourage your child to make friends with nice and kind peers. It is important for your child or teen to surround themselves with a positive support group to help remain strong and not the next victim of a bullying attack. As a teacher or administrator, keeping an eye on the bullying situation is the best way to stay on top of it and stop it before it starts.

Stand Up to Bullying

Perched on the edge of the George Washington Bridge, 212 feet above the Hudson River, Tyler Clementi, a newly enrolled freshman at Rutgers University, peered into the abyss that had been his life - and jumped. Though he never self-identified as gay, his roommate, Dharun Ravi, believed him to be. Using his computer, Ravi videotaped a sexual encounter between Tyler and a male lover. He then posted it online, subjecting Tyler to public scrutiny. On that fateful night, September 22, 2010, Tyler jumped to his death, after posting on Facebook that he was sorry he would be committing suicide.



When Dharun Ravi was sentenced—to 30 days in prison—I was hoping to get relief from my obsession with the sad, sad case of the Rutgers freshman who spied on his roommate. But I am still haunted as I read the stories and then the comments, which bleed with hatred and vitriol. Hatred for Dharun. Hatred for Tyler. Hatred for the families. Every aspect of this case and how we are approaching this feels wrong, wrong, wrong.

I have no immediate knowledge of any of the parties involved. But I did know a teenager who committed suicide. Emily went to my high school and my college. Every time I read about Dharun and Tyler, I think about my last conversation with Emily. And every time I think about that conversation, I wish I could press the reset button and say the right things, instead of what were most certainly, the wrong things. I think regrets like this may be one of our collective obsessions with time travel, which plays such a big role in so many works of fiction and film, from Star Trek to Men in Black 3. If we could go back and change something in the past, would the future turn out differently?

Emily was not the victim of any hate crime (as far as I know). She was not bullied (as far as I know). Here’s what I do know. Her parents were Holocaust survivors. She was smart in a quiet, contemplative, not show-offy way. She one of the nicest people I ever knew. She sailed through our competitive high school, the Bronx High School of Science, without seeming to compete at all.

I didn’t know Emily before high school, and we didn’t hang out a lot together even then, but I have a few distinct memories. I remember riding the subway with her. I remember having lost or not being able to obtain a book I needed for social studies. She gave me hers and wouldn’t let me refuse or return it.

I remember talking to her about what we wanted to do when we were older. I wanted to be a writer—always, I said. She wanted to write, too—but more specifically to adapt classics or mythology at a level that people with mental challenges could read. She volunteered with people who were mentally challenged and it bothered her that they would give them childish books that didn’t inspire them. She wanted them to be able to read something wonderful and stimulating at a reading level they could process.

I was always a little humbled in her presence.

When we both got into the same college, I was excited about this new door that was about to open and asked her if she was, too. She said she wasn’t. I was puzzled. And when I looked into her eyes I couldn’t help thinking, She looks trapped. That was my big insight that flitted in my head and flitted away, not to return until after her death. She feels trapped because she can’t justify turning this down. It was an offer she couldn’t’ refuse. But if high school was competitive, this was going to be high school on steroids.

I didn’t see much of Emily at school. It was a big school and I spent a lot of time with my books and my own personal dramas. But this is what I remember. We were approaching finals and she reached out to ask me to join her for lunch in her house dining room (we belonged to different houses). She seemed stressed out about finals. She started telling me she was struggling. And I cut her off to complain about how heartless everyone was and no one cared about anyone and on and on and on. She got quiet and I eventually noticed and tapered off.

I got through my finals of course. I always did. I complained a lot (I always did), but they were fine as usual. Back in school in the fall, almost as an afterthought, I asked about Emily, thinking I would ask her to lunch this time. You haven’t heard? Heard what?, I asked. Emily went under her desk and wouldn’t come out for finals. She wouldn’t take them.They expelled her. Emily ended up in a mental facility. She came home on a weekend pass and she killed herself.
I was in a state of shock. Decades later, I still am.

In the immediate aftermath, my grief overwhelmed me. I tried to find out everything I could about her. This annoyed one girl who had grown up with her. You hardly even knew Emily, she said. Certainly not as well as I did. Which was true. Which also added to my guilt and my grief. Why didn’t I take the time to know her better? Why did I talk so much at that lunch? Why didn’t I listen? Maybe I could have picked up on something that was going so horribly wrong inside her. Maybe I could have shifted the trajectory. Maybe with the right words, or by alerting the right people I could have helped her avert tragedy.

One of the elements of Tyler’s story that pulls at my heart was that he had very few friends. When things hurt—and when you are 18, they hurt a lot—having a friend to throw you a life preserver can make all the difference. Did Dharun’s tweets and the brief use of his webcam over a two-week period push Tyler off the bridge? Even the prosecution didn’t accuse him of causing the suicide. What Tyler’s family seemed most upset by, actually, was that Dharun didn’t take the time to know Tyler or to become his friend. That’s a failure that lies on more than one set of shoulders, although each and every failure adds up.

Which brings me back to my last conversation with Emily. For longer than I care to admit, I blamed myself for complaining so much about school that day, because it may have poured gasoline on the fire. I blamed myself for saying the wrong things instead of the right things. Today, as I replay the scene again, more than anything else, I blame myself for not listening.

In our national discussion about the tragedy of teen suicide, I think collectively too many of us are making the mistake of not listening. We cast blame, we exact punishments and we don’t look in the mirror. It’s Dharun’s fault. It’s the parents’ fault. It’s the school’s fault. Recently, I went back and reread an O’Henry story called “The Guilty Party.” Brilliantly, he contrasted who we give the blame to in our human courts and who really bears responsibility in the celestial scheme of things. Although really, the truth of it is, whenever someone takes his or her life, it’s everyone’s fault.

It is hard to be a teen. It always has been. It always will be. You are not a child. You are not an adult. You are under enormous pressure as you leave home for the first time. You do selfish and stupid things along with the good ones as you try to sort out the complicated business of trying to forge new friendships. You are 18—your frontal lobes are not fully developed, which means you make impulsive, rash decisions. You worry that you will never find people who care for you because of who you really are, you worry that if people know who you really are, they won’t care for you. You worry that you don’t belong, that you will never belong because you’re too fat, or because of the color of your skin, or your religion, your nationality, your sexual orientation.

I don’t have answers about Dharun or Tyler. I am just deeply troubled and disturbed with the answers dripping with hate and blame. Where is the love? Where is the forgiveness? When are we going to start listening and reaching out to everyone’s children?

I wish I could tell Emily that because of her I have become a different kind of writer than I dreamed of back when we talked on that subway train so many years ago. I write about kids a lot. I interview kids a lot. And when I interview them, I listen. I listen as hard as I can. I listen with everything I have in me for what they are saying between their words. I listen for Emily. 







 

Bullied

An Excellent Start to the Series
"Bullied" is a wonderfully written book about a young man, named Seth Moore, who has not been granted the best lot in life. He lives in a trailer, his parents are both unemployed drunks, his skin is covered in acne, and his body is weak. Thanks to this terrific combination of attributes, he has been bullied his entire life. The last three years of high school he has been beat up regularly and verbally abused constantly by his fellow students.

On the first day of his senior year, Seth receives an amulet as a gift from a friend of his father. This amulet gives him the power to change his life. Anything he can envision with his mind and his heart, he can make happen.

As Seth begins to use the amulet to defend himself against the students who have bullied him AND the teachers who have allowed the bullying to continue, he discovers that this new power can be difficult to control. The hate in his own heart could turn him into a bully himself. Furthermore, if the hate gets the best of him, he could accidentally kill someone. And worse yet, the bullies could increase the intensity of their attacks against him instead of backing down.

First of all, I have to give kudos to the cover designer for this book. It is a freakin awesome cover. I don't often read/review Young Adult novels, but I made an exception in this case because the cover had me hooked. Brilliant time to publish this book too, considering bullying is finally being publicly recognized for the problem it is.



 

 

Anybody out there get bullied in school?
I did. I can very clearly remember the insults that were thrown at me from two girls in junior high school on a daily basis. For those of you who were bullied, do you remember the stuff you fantasized would happen to your bullies? I used to fantasize that the girls who bullied me would have all their hair fall out overnight. Seth's amulet gives him the power to do things like that to the kids who bully him.... and trust me, he takes advantage. You will not be able to put this book down, nor will you want to.

But there is a message here too. Because, once we start treating people with hatred, whether we think they deserve it or not, we are letting ourselves become just as bad as they are. No matter how tempting it is to follow the path of revenge, evil only breeds more evil and hate only breeds more hate.

This is a short book and therefore a quick read. There are three books in the series that I know of, so I'm guessing that combined they probably equal one full-length novel. This book ends with a doozie of a cliffhanger, so if you are going to read it, you may as well get the 2nd book, Revenge, at the same time.

Highly recommended for anyone who has ever been bullied and/or anyone who has been a bully. That should include pretty much everyone.

How To Stop Kids From Bullying

Bullying is when one child or adolescent taunts, teases, torments or abuses another child in a relentless, unwarranted and unsolicited manner. Being bullied can cause irrevocable harm, and getting the offending party to cease such behavior is a process that takes both time and patience. Understanding the root cause of what prompts a child to act out in such a hurtful and hateful manner is the first step in helping to change the behavior.

Instructions              

1. Make a list of what is considered typical teasing and taunting and what constitutes bullying. Be descriptive in explaining the items on the list and give examples of scenarios where teasing crosses the line to bullying.
2. Sit the child down that has been accused of bullying and talk to her in an open discussion format. Do not use your list of what behaviors encompass bullying just yet. Ask the child open-ended questions: Do you think you are a bully? Why do you say that? Can you give me examples of things you have said or done that are considered bullying? Has anyone ever called you a bully? How does it make you feel to be thought of as a bully? Continue talking to the child to get her personal view on her behavior and whether or not she deems her actions to be acceptable. Pay attention to her body language and choice of words. Note whether the child shows remorse for poor actions or if she talks about incidents with pride.
3. Show the child letters, documents or statements illustrating incidents where the child was the offender in an act of bullying. Read the entire letter or statement to the child and make her sit quietly the entire time. Do not allow the child to interrupt you, and if she does, start over until she has learned control. Allow a moment of silence after reading the incidents and then proceed to discuss each event individually.
4. Ask your child how she feels when she is teased, tormented or harassed. Ask the child how bullying others makes her feel both during the event and afterward. Talk to the child about how bullying is not an acceptable form of behavior and what she would like to change about her behavior. Have the child write words and phrases describing herself. Review the list and talk to the child about what triggers her bullying.
5. Have the child keep a journal. Suggest keeping the journal at home so that others will not see it if the child has low self-esteem issues or has a fear of others perceiving her as weak. Review the journal entries weekly and continue one-on-one sit-down discussions with the child to work through issues and concerns. Praise the child for incidents where she was tempted to bully but opted not to.
6. Have the child talk to an independent party such as a pediatrician, counselor or therapist to express her feelings and learn ways to control her temper and anger. Continue working with the child and listening to her on a regular and routine basis. Continue to praise the child and reward good behavior to show that you appreciate her efforts in making a change.

 

Tips

 

Keep your own journal of issues to discuss with the child and note things that you see or hear that could be cause for concern. Also, do not ignore or overlook your child's bullying without attempting to correct the behavior yourself or seek outside help.

 

 

 

 

The More You Know-- Part 2

Back on Track for More Information
 
A few weeks ago I made a post called The More You Know.  This post focused on the statistics section of School Bullying on Wikipedia. I made revisions to the original page and now I'm back to see if the page on Wikipedia is still the same or has been changed.

Was my revision of the Wiki page changed?
 
Sadly I must say that the Wiki page has been changed. Please see below.

Bullying is a common occurrence in most schools. According to the American Psychological Association, approximately "40% to 80% of school-age children experience bullying at some point during their school careers".^[16] Regardless of the grade level, socioeconomic environment, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, bullying can happen to anyone. However, various studies point out that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more bullied than students from higher socio-economic backgrounds.^[17] Most children experience bullying at some point in their academic careers. The following is a list of statistics that illustrate the severity of bullying within classrooms:^[16] 

• 20–40% of bullying victims actually report being bullied

• 70% of middle school and high school students experience bullying in school 

• 7–12% of bullies are habitual and pose a serious threat

•  23% of 9th graders have carried a weapon to school recently^[18]

• 5–15% of students are constantly bullied

• 27% of students are bullied because of their refusal to engage in common sexual practices

• 25% of students encourage bullying if not given proper education and support in anti-bullying techniques^[19]

This was a survey conducted by the NICHD where a results on what student did in a school. "The children were asked to complete a questionnaire during a class period that asked how often they either bullied other students, or were the target of bullying behavior. A total of 10.6 percent of the children replied that they had 'sometimes' bullied other children, a response category defined as 'moderate' bullying. An additional 8.8 percent said they had bullied others once a week or more, defined as 'frequent' bullying. Similarly, 8.5 percent said they had been targets of moderate bullying, and 8.4 percent said they were bullied frequently. Out of all the students, 13 percent said they had engaged in moderate or frequent bullying of others, while 10.6 percent said they had been bullied either moderately or frequently. Some students-6.3 percent-had both bullied others and been bullied themselves. In all, 29 percent of the students who responded to the survey had been involved in some aspect of bullying, either as a bully, as the target of bullying, or both." ^[20] According to Tara Kuther, associate professor of psychology at Western Connecticut State University, "...bullying gets so much more sophisticated and subtle in high school. It's more relational. It becomes more difficult for teens to know when to intervene, whereas with younger kids bullying is more physical and therefore more clear cut".^[19]
Because of the low numbers of students who actually report incidents of bullying, teachers need to have a certain level of awareness that will thwart any potential problems. This awareness starts with understanding bullying. 

I am quite surprised that my revision was actually changed back to its original post. I am not completely sure why it was reverted back but I've rationalized that it's possible that the information that I posted may not have been cited correctly. This is just speculation, for I really don't understand why it was changed. My revision listed chronologically the yearly statistics taken on bullying in schools. This chronological order made it easier for the reader to follow. Also, I've explained that the statistics listed above were not taken on a fair playing ground amongst other schools in the same geographical area. The statistics only concentrate on one school, therefore
providing information that may be viewed as inaccurate. For more information, please see my previous post The More You Know.

Because I feel that the information above can be presented slightly more thoroughly, I am attempting to revise the Statistics section of the "School Bullying" page in Wikipedia once again. Please see below for the revised section: 

Statistics

2000

In 2000 a survey by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire found that 6% of the young people had experienced some kind of harassment such as threats or horrible rumours and 2% suffered from distressing abuse.

2004

ABC News reported on a 2004 survey, in September 2006, of 1,500 students between the grades 4 through 8 which displayed : 

• 42% of kids have been bullied online. One in four have had it happen more than once.

• 35% of kids have been threatened online. About one in five had it happen more than once.

• 21% of kids received harassing e-mails.

• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once.

• 58% have not told their parents or an adult about the harassment ocurring to them online. 

 2005

The Youth Internet Safety Survey-2, conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire in 2005, found: 

• 9% of the young people in the survey had experienced some form of harassment. The survey was a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,500 youths between the ages of  10 to 17 years old. 

• One third reported feeling distressed by the incident, with distress being more likely for younger respondents and those who were the victims of aggressive harassment.  

Hinduja and Patchin completed a study in the summer of 2005 of approximately 1,500 internet-using adolescents and found: 

• over one-third of youths reported being victimized online.

•  over 16% of respondents admitted to cyber-bullying others.

While most of the instances of cyber-bullying involved relatively minor behavior it was found: 

• 41% were disrespected.

• 19% were called names. 

• over 12% were physically threatened. 

• about 5% were scared for their safety.  

Notably, fewer than 15% of victims told an adult about the incident.

According to a 2005 survey by the National Children's Home charity and Tesco Mobile of 770 youths between the ages of 11 and 19 found:  

• 20% of respondents revealed that they had been bullied via electronic means. 

• Almost three-quarters (73%) stated that they knew the bully.

•  26% stated that the offender was a stranger.  

• 10% of responders indicated that another person has taken a picture and/or video of them via a cellular phone camera.  

2007

In 2007,  a Stanford University student,Debbie Heimowitz, created a film based on Stanford accredited research called Adina's Deck. She worked for ten weeks in three schools to learn about the problem of cyber-bullying in Northern California. The findings determined that over 60% of students had been cyber-bullied and were victims of cyber-bullying. The film is now being used in classrooms nationwide as it was designed around learning goals pertaining to problems that students had understanding the topic.

Additional research by Hinduja and Patchin in 2007 found that youths who report being victims of cyber-bullying also experience stress that is related to other problematic behaviors such as running away from home, drinking alcohol, or using drugs. The authors acknowledge that both of these studies provide only preliminary information about the nature and consequences of online bullying, due to the methodological challenges associated with an online survey.

2008

In 2008, researchers Sameer Hinduja (Florida Atlantic University) and Justin Patchin (University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire) published a book on cyber-bullying that summarized the current state of cyber-bullying research. (Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying). Their research documents that cyber-bullying instances have been increasing over the last several years. They also report findings from the most recent study of cyber-bullying among middle-school students. Using a random sample of approximately 2000 middle-school students from a large school district in the southern United States they found: 

• about 10% of respondents had been cyber-bullied in the previous 30 days. 

• while over 17% reported being cyber-bullied at least once in their lifetime.   

While these rates are slightly lower than some of the findings from their previous research, Hinduja and Patchin point out that the earlier studies were predominantly conducted among older adolescents and internet samples. That is, older youths use the internet more frequently and are more likely to experience cyber-bullying than younger children. 

2011

The National Crime Prevention Council reported in 2011 that cyber-bullying is a problem that affects almost half of all American teens. 

All information provided above was found on the psychology wiki site. I believe that the revised statistics section provides detailed information of the bullying incidents listed chronologically starting from the year 2000 through 2011. This gives the reader a clear view of the trend in our society. These statistics shows a steady rise of the bullying incidents, whereas the previous wiki did not provide enough data to display this continuous growth throughout the years. Also, the statistics now displayed are not solely based on a single school, rather the statistics are based on a number of schools throughout many years.


Just a note:

We as a community need to come together and send a message to our children that it is not alright to bully and it is not going to be tolerated. Unfortunately not enough is being done to put a halt to this upward trend in our society. We are the adults and it is time that we do something about this.  

Life Will Change

It Doesn't Last Forever

A year after a Westport teenager, Alye Pollack, posted a silent but powerful online video decrying bullying, she has posted another video saying that she no longer is a target for bullies and urges others who feel bullied to seek help and be confident that "You Are Loved."

Reprising the format of her video from March 2011, Alye Pollack, now a 14-year-old high school student, does not speak but holds up a series of hand-lettered messages that say, among other things, to bullying victims, "It Gets Better." That, Pollack writes, is true of her own life, which "has changed SOOOOO much" over the course of a year.

"I've made so many new friends and remain friends with the people that have accepted me, BUT it doesn't matter how many friends you have; only how good and supportive and accepting they are," Pollack writes in the video below.

 

 

That marks a sharp change from the teen's earlier video, as seen in my previous post "Words Do Hurt," in which she complained about being targeted by bullies. "I am bullied," she wrote at the time. "Not a day has gone by without one of these words ..." and the next sign listed insults and epithets she said she was called, including, "... Fat, Slut, Freak, Ugly ..."
 
One of the last signs in the March 2011 video that Pollack held in front of her camera read: "HELP" in large capital letters, followed by, "THINK before you say things. IT MIGHT SAVE ..." "LIVES," read the following sign.
 
The video, besides going viral online, brought widespread media attention to Pollack, who was then an eighth-grader at Bedford Middle School. She was interviewed about her anti-bullying plea by local and national press. 
 
Now, however, in the new video she says that she no longer feels bullied, but she "feels bad for the people who bully me because I know what they are saying IS NOT TRUE."
 
To others who may be targeted by bullies, Pollack urges them to stay strong and not to consider extremes like cutting themselves or ending their lives. "It Gets Better," a smiling Pollack assures them. "Be Yourself ... You are Loved ... You are Special." "Don't run away from your problems," she urges. "Face them head on and stand up for yourself ... Words hurt, but you don't have to let them."


Advice for parents:

• Empower your children.
• Be assertive.
• Call the bullies' parents.
• Be involved.
• Speak with your child's teachers to make sure there's an attitude that bullying will not be tolerated.

Advice for teachers:

• If one child is getting bullied, it needs to be everybody's business.
• Instill a value system in the classroom and on the playground that someone who sits silently and watches a bully is as guilty as the bully himself.
• Keep a spirit of inclusion and enforce it.

Remember:

Words can be just as harmful as physical violence and can cause lasting psychological damage to victims. The old adage, "Sticks and stones can break your bones but words will never hurt you!" is simply not true. Never try to handle a bully alone. Always go to a person with authority over the bully such as: a teacher, a principal, a school liaison officer or a parent. No matter what a bully threatens to do, you must tell somebody in a position of authority and your parents. Never suffer in silence. You are not alone. Athough it's hard, you must be strong and remember that this situation will not last forever--life will change.

Death of a Vancouver-Area Teenager

Death is not the answer

In recent years, a series of bullying-related suicides in the US and across the globe have drawn attention to the connection between bullying and suicide. Though too many adults still see bullying as "just part of being a kid," it is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide.

Below is a video of a teenager named Amanda Todd who committed suicide on Wednesday 10/10/12 in Coquitlam, Canada due to bullying.

       



ABC  covered the story in an article titled Bullied Teen Leaves Behind Chilling YouTube Video. Reporter--Christina NG-- explained that Amanda Todd, a fifteen year old teenager had posted a story to YouTube the previous month about being cyber-bullied. She was sadly found dead Wednesday night 10/10/12 in Coquitlam, Canada. Authorities believed that she committed suicide.

The website shows Amanda's video which tells a heart-wrenching story of the bullying she was subjected to -- both online and off. In 7th grade, she would go with friends on webcam to meet and talk to new people. At one point, a stranger flattered her into flashing the camera.
 
ABC reports that one year later, a man contacted Amanda on Facebook, threatening to send around the picture of her topless if she did not "put on a show." Terrifyingly, the stranger knew everything about her: her address, school, friends, relatives, and the names of her family members. Soon, her naked photo had been forwarded "to everyone."
 
Amanda developed anxiety, depression, and panic disorders, she wrote, followed by a path into drugs and alcohol.

ABC also reports that she changed schools and found a new group of friends in an effort to leave behind the bullies. Then the man created a Facebook profile, using her uncensored photo as his profile picture. She "cried every night, lost all my friends and respect people had for me again."

Soon after, the bullying started again and she began to cut herself. Amanda also wrote about how she made "a huge mistake" and "hooked up" with an old guy friend, who she really believed liked her.  Then a troop of girls, led by the boy's girlfriend, came and beat her up. "Kids filmed it," she writes. "I was all alone and left on the ground."

The video on ABC shows that Todd wrote that she "wanted to die so bad" when her dad found her in a ditch. When she got home she drank bleach in an attempt to kill herself, but was saved after a rushed trip to the hospital.

Amanda's bullying continued despite moving to a new city. Anti-depressants and counseling did little to combat the severe depression. The authorities were called on Oct. 10, 2012 to investigate the sudden death of the teenager.


Advice:

My message to any student being bullied is this. Do not be afraid to speak up. You do not have to face this alone. Just know that there have been many before you that have been bullied. High school is just a small fraction of your life. Allow yourself to move on from this, because there is so much more to your life to live. So many goals to be accomplished. So many dreams to be realized. Life can be painful at times. I’ve dealt with my own heartbreak, my own tragedies, my own mistakes, but always knew that it would get better and it did. Don’t ever give up. Suicide should never be one of your options. Suicide is a final solution to a temporary problem. There have been too many tears shed over coffins that are too small.

Please don’t ever think that you need to kill yourself to escape your pain. Eleanor Roosevelt says it best that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Therefore, please don’t put your friends, family, and your parents through any pain of loss because their suffering will be everlasting when they lose you. Be strong. Life will get better. You just have to give it a chance.

Words Do Hurt

". . . but words will hurt me !"

A 13-year-old girl apparently bullied by her peers had taken her plight to YouTube. She posted a haunting video that describes the alleged torment suffered at a Connecticut middle school.

Alye Pollack, an eighth-grader at Bedford Middle School in Westport, Conn., uploaded the video, titled "Words are worse than Sticks and Stones." As of now, the three-minute clip has more than 705,420 views.

Pollack, who does not speak in the homemade video below, is seen holding up signs recounting the alleged bullying endured at the hands of her classmates. The signs read, "I am bullied. Not a day has gone by without one of these words -- 'bitch,' 'whore,' 'fat, 'lesbo,' 'slut,' 'freak,' ugly,' 'weird,' fag." Pollack writes, "I don't cut but I'm close. I'm in therapy/guidance more than my classes." Another sign reads, "Think before you say things. It might save lives."

 



This is definitely a cry for help. Alye's action was a great way for her not only to ventilate but a way to get help. It's not easy but one must never give up hope for a better future. It's always darkest before the dawn. (I know it sounds like a cliche but it's true). Never stop asking for help. One should always put themself first and if you are not getting the proper help from one school staff member, you should then talk to someone else. Don't stop talking about the problems of bullying because one person may not take you seriously. Keep talking until you find someone that will give you the proper attention needed to make the bullying stop.

Beyond the School Yard!

The book, Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard, is very informative!

I came across this book called Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard by Dr. Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D.  At first, I was a little leery about the book because I felt that it may just be another story about bullying with limited information. I was really looking for a book about bullying that truly provided me with insightful facts that would help me.

This book is divided into seven chapters that provide a concise analysis and summary of the current state of knowledge regarding cyberbullying. The first half of the book engages in such matters as the explosive nationwide growth of teen Internet activities, how cyberbullying is different from other instances of bullying, and the debilitating effects cyberbullying can have on youngsters. The authors' first-hand research on cyberbullying, outlined in Chapters 3 and 4, is compelling. In the largest project of its kind, Hinduja and Patchin conducted a survey of student online behavior among 2,000 middle-school children randomly selected from one of the largest school districts in the United States. They found that 17.3 % had been cyberbullied at least once in their lifetime, 17.6% admitted to cyberbullying others at some point in their lifetime, and 12% reported being both a victim and perpetrator of cyberbullying. The authors also discuss the findings of a study they conducted on how teens are representing themselves and interacting with others on Internet social networking sites. Aside from their own path-breaking research, Hinduja and Patchin draw together in a clear and meaningful way the current research on youth centered correlates of cyberbullying such as age, gender, and race. They also meld personal stories of cyberbully victims with a detailed examination of the motivations of youth who cyberbully and the communication media they use to harass victims.
 

The second half of the book is extremely thorough in providing an overview of legal issues confronting school officials in responding to cyberbullying incidents as well as offering practical suggestions to educators for putting anti-cyberbullying rules in place in the school setting. Hinduja and Patchin skillfully examine current legislative measures states are adopting to curb cyberbullying and discuss shifting case law interpretations of the right of school officials to restrict student speech or behavior and to control what students do off campus. They present this material in a clear, non-technical manner, avoiding the use of specialized legal terms. To their credit, the authors offer a succinct breakdown of the essential components of a comprehensive cyberbullying policy for school districts. The treatment of this subject is a good example of the clearness and thoroughness of the book. As with earlier chapters, the authors support their writing with ample scholarly citations (over 228 citations). A rich resource section at the end of the book contains a wide range of helpful exercises and practical information for educators, parents, and youths on preventing and responding to cyberbullying, including tools and strategies for helping children who are targets of cyberbullying.

In sum, this book delivers on its title by providing a comprehensive pathway for understanding a new form bullying unlike the usual school yard variety. It is a scholarly work that is engaging, passionately written, and well documented. Each chapter is clear and concise and one can easily envision this book as a master reference text for researchers, educators, law enforcement professionals, and parents who are concerned with bullying through the use of technology. It represents an innovative work by two gifted scholars.

TAKE A STAND

An Anti-Bullying Fundraiser

According to News 12 of the Bronx, yesterday, there was a fundraiser held for the New York Arts Foundation in honor of Amanda Cummings. Tragically, Amanda Cummings’ life ended at the tender age of 15, when she stepped in front of a bus and died last year. It has been found that the endless harassments and other acts of bullying drove this young girl to her death.

                                   Amanda Cummings

                        Anti-bullying Fundraiser



Another victim, Jamie Issac, 17 years old, decided to empower herself and take a stand against bullying. Jamie’s vision is simple. She wants to be the voice for all victims of bullying who do not have a voice. Jamie is a survivor of over 6 years of intense bullying. Jamie helped write and pass the Suffolk County Cyber-Bullying Law and is currently working with Nassau County legislator Kevan Abrahams to help write and pass the same law in Nassau. Jamie is also working with State Senator Jeff Klein on the passing of the NYS Cyber-Bullying Law that will hold a punishment of 15 years in prison if convicted of Cyber-Bullying someone to death. Her courageous effort and determination to get a stricter law passed against bullying is inspiring.


What does the new state law require?

The new state law requires schools to report bullying and cyberbullying to police whether it happens on school grounds or off campus.



When is the law put into effect? 

The state law is effective starting July 1, 2013.

We are definitely taking one big step for humankind. There needs to be an end to all this madness. I see this as being a great first step.