Loser. Ugly. Fat.
Posting embarrassing pictures of someone online.
Harassing a person to the point where they feel unsafe.
In the real world and digital world, these are all forms of bullying. About 20% of students ages 12 to 18 are bullied nationwide. 56% of bullies had the ability to influence other students’ perception of them, 50% had more social influence, 40% were physically stronger or larger, and 31% had more money. So, what does this mean? Bullying is real. It is harmful to victims and in worst case scenarios can lead to long-lasting effects or even suicide.
2022 Cyberbullying Statistics
- Victims of cyberbullying are 1.9 times more likely to commit suicide
- 5% of kids aged between 12 and 17 have had a bully target them at least once in their lifetime
- 68% of children that have gone through online harassment have experienced mental health issues
- 60% of children and young people have witnessed someone going through harassment on social media
- Over 40% of bullying happens on Instagram
What is Cyberbullying?
In reality, cyberbullying is just bullying but worse. In this digital era, texting, video calling, and snapchatting is a normal way of communicating daily, making it much easier for bullies to reach their victims anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
You may have heard the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” and unfortunately, this is completely untrue. If anything, words hurt more. Attacking victims with insults, rumours and harassment can be humiliating and can lead to severe mental health issues. But it doesn’t end there. Here are 8 forms of what cyberbullying looks like:
About Netsweeper
Netsweeper’s software solutions are dedicated to making the internet a safer place to learn, work and play. It enables schools to create safer online environments for children and internet users while protecting them from harmful online content. Our filtering systems, AI categorization, alerts and reports, and defense against real-time threats provide monitoring solutions that mitigate any risks children may be subjected to.
Netsweeper is proud to be partners with Bullying International and Cybertip.ca to help reduce child victimization and support bullied children. To learn more about how Netsweeper can protect children online, book a free demo with one of our solution experts.