New Teen Survey Reveals Cyberbullying Moving Beyond Social Media to Email, Messaging Apps, YouTube
Bullying among teens is nothing new, but social media outlets are providing new avenues for it, often out of sight of parents and teachers.
Nearly one in three American high school students has been a victim of cyberbullying, according to a recent study. Students reported witnessing or experiencing cyberbullying on all eight platforms listed on the survey, including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube, according to results the company provided to The 74.
Conducted by the cybersecurity company McAfee, about 1,200 American students ages 14 to 18 participated in the study, which was conducted in June and also included questions about cheating in school using technology. The full study included students from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Americans reported more cheating and more bullying than their peers from the other surveyed nations.
Slightly more than half of students said they feel their teachers and other educators at school openly discuss cyberbullying and try to prevent it, while 21 percent said adults at school discuss cyberbullying but don’t try to prevent it.
Nearly half of the surveyed teens said their parents try to help them deal with cybersafety issues. The students’ responses to the question “While at home do your parents talk with you about how to stay safe online while using connected devices? (either personal or school-owned)”:
- 46%: Yes, my parents regularly talk with me about how to stay safe online
- 33%: Yes, my parents have talked to me about staying safe online, but it’s not a regular conversation
- 11%: Yes, my parents have tried to talk to me about staying safe online, but I think I know more than they do
- 9%: No, my parents have never talked to me about how to stay safe online
Read the full article on The 74, a non-profit, non-partisan news site covering education in America. See McAfee’s article about the results of the study here.
