Online bullying (often referred to as cyberbullying) is any form of bullying that is carried out through the use of electronic media devices, such as computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, or gaming consoles.
What makes online bullying different?
We know there is a strong link between online bullying and face-to-face bullying. Research has shown that 80% of those who experience online bullying have also been bullied face-to-face.
"Bullying is far more wide spread now it is online - it’s not just your time in school. It affects your social life. Your social life is online. How many people like your status or your picture. Social pressures are just made worse."
Young Person
From our 'Cyberbullying and children and young people with SEN and disabilities' study
There are some things that make online bullying different to 'traditional' bullying:
- 24/7 nature: the nature of online activity means you can be in contact at any time.
- There is the potential for a wider audience and bullying incidents can stay online, for example: a photo that you can't remove.
- Evidence: a lot of online bullying incidents allow those experiencing it to keep evidence, such as capturing screenshots, which can be presented to school staff or law enforcement if needed.
- Potential to hide your identity: it is possible to hide your identity online which can make online bullying incidents very scary.
- Degree of separation: people who bully online often don't see the reaction of those experiencing it so it can sometimes be harder for them to see the impact of their actions.
You can find out more about existing research regarding online bullying here.
Prevalence of online bullying:
There are many statistics relating to levels of online bullying. Some studies have found:
- Nearly a quarter of pupils reported ever being a victim of online bullying.
- The most common way for children to be bullied via technology was through text or messaging apps (56%), followed by social media (43%) or online games (30%).
- Name calling is the most common type of online bullying.
