bullying and cyberbullying essay

Cyber Bullying Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on cyber bullying.

Cyber Bullying Essay: In today’s world which has been made smaller by technology, new age problems have been born. No doubt technology has a lot of benefits; however, it also comes with a negative side. It has given birth to cyberbullying. To put it simply, cyberbullying refers to the misuse of information technology with the intention to harass others.

Subsequently, cyberbullying comes in various forms. It doesn’t necessarily mean hacking someone’s profiles or posing to be someone else. It also includes posting negative comments about somebody or spreading rumors to defame someone. As everyone is caught up on the social network, it makes it very easy for anyone to misuse this access.

In other words, cyberbullying has become very common nowadays. It includes actions to manipulate, harass and defame any person. These hostile actions are seriously damaging and can affect anyone easily and gravely. They take place on social media, public forums, and other online information websites. A cyberbully is not necessarily a stranger; it may also be someone you know.

Cyber Bullying is Dangerous

Cyberbullying is a multi-faced issue. However, the intention of this activity is one and the same. To hurt people and bring them harm. Cyberbullying is not a light matter. It needs to be taken seriously as it does have a lot of dangerous effects on the victim.

Moreover, it disturbs the peace of mind of a person. Many people are known to experience depression after they are cyberbullied. In addition, they indulge in self-harm. All the derogatory comments made about them makes them feel inferior.

It also results in a lot of insecurities and complexes. The victim which suffers cyberbullying in the form of harassing starts having self-doubt. When someone points at your insecurities, they only tend to enhance. Similarly, the victims worry and lose their inner peace.

Other than that, cyberbullying also tarnishes the image of a person. It hampers their reputation with the false rumors spread about them. Everything on social media spreads like wildfire. Moreover, people often question the credibility. Thus,  one false rumor destroys people’s lives.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Prevent Cyber Bullying?

Cyberbullying prevention is the need of the hour. It needs to be monitored and put an end to. There are various ways to tackle cyberbullying. We can implement them at individual levels as well as authoritative levels.

Firstly, always teach your children to never share personal information online. For instance, if you list your home address or phone number there, it will make you a potential target of cyberbullying easily.

Secondly, avoid posting explicit photos of yourself online. Also, never discuss personal matters on social media. In other words, keep the information limited within your group of friends and family. Most importantly, never ever share your internet password and account details with anyone. Keep all this information to yourself alone. Be alert and do not click on mysterious links, they may be scams. In addition, teach your kids about cyberbullying and make them aware of what’s wrong and right.

In conclusion, awareness is the key to prevent online harassment. We should make the children aware from an early age so they are always cautious. Moreover, parents must monitor their children’s online activities and limit their usage. Most importantly, cyberbullying must be reported instantly without delay. This can prevent further incidents from taking place.

FAQs on Cyber Bullying

Q.1 Why is Cyberbullying dangerous?

A.1 Cyberbullying affects the mental peace of a person. It takes a toll on their mental health. Moreover, it tarnishes the reputation of an individual.

Q.2 How to prevent cyberbullying?

A.2 We may prevent cyberbullying by limiting the information we share online. In addition, we must make children aware of the forms of cyberbullying and its consequences.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

about Cyber Bullying - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Cyber bullying is a modern form of bullying that occurs online or through digital devices, having a significant impact on the mental health of individuals, particularly adolescents. Essays on cyber bullying might discuss its various forms, the psychological and societal repercussions, and the measures taken by schools, parents, and communities to combat and prevent cyber bullying. Comparisons between traditional and cyber bullying, and the role of social media platforms in propagating or mitigating cyber bullying might also be discussed. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Cyber Bullying you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

What are the Causes of Cyber Bullying?

David Molak was a high school sophomore in Texas. He was an Eagle Scout, Spurs fan, and devoted to fitness. In January 2016, he hung himself in his family's backyard. Before the suicide, David had received a series of texts from at least six to ten bullies. The messages insulted him and put him down. He had not done anything to attract this attention, his brother, Cliff, reported. His brother, Cliff, said, They crushed his spirit and took away his […]

The Effects of Bullying and Cyber Bullying

Cyberbullying is defined as posting, sending, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else over digital devices (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). However, cyberbullying is very dangerous and has the ability to cross the line into unlawful or criminal behavior. This, in brief, is the argument that cyberbullying is damaging to teens, adolescents, and even some adults. The following paper shall be an assessment on the issue. Following, I will further explain the the […]

How Cyberbullying Impact on Mental Health

Abstract Cyberbullying has been at an all time high since the invention of technology. With the use of cell phones and the internet it now easier then ever for adolescents to bully one another through text messages, social media, and through email. The internet it an extraordinary piece of technology but it can also be used to bully others. The majority of adolescents who bully through the internet or text messages don’t understand or know the dangers and how harmful […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Different Consequences of Cyber Bullying in School

Bullying can have a big impact on children to include problems that are physical, emotional, and social. The Nova Scotia Cyber-Safety Act states that new technology today has changed in many ways. One way it has changed is with communication. It has shifted the focus of child harassment from the playground to the computer. Instead of face-to-face bullying, children are now being bullied on the Internet. However, there isn’t enough internet monitoring done by parents to help keep their children […]

Persuasive Essay about Cyber Bullying: Navigating the Shadows and Illuminating the Digital Realm with Collective Action

Greetings, fellow advocates! We're about to tackle a pressing issue becoming increasingly prevalent – cyberbullying. This menace quietly thrives in the vast digital expanse, where connectivity knows no bounds. It's not just a matter of concern; it's an urgent call to action. Prepare to journey through this essay and shed light on the imperativeness of our collective efforts to combat cyberbullying. A Digital Landscape Darkened by Shadows As we navigate the realm of online interactions, the shadows cast by cyberbullying […]

Technology is a Useful Servant

"Technology is a useful servant, but a dangerous master ("The Nobel Peace 29). This is a true statement because technology can be used to do work, just like a slave. In schools though, cell phones can be a dangerous tool to students when it starts to control them, like a master does. Cell phones and schools just don't mix, which is why they shouldn't be used there. Despite the reasons for using cell phones in school, cell phones should not […]

Cyberbullying Vs. Traditional Bullying

Many studies show that cyberbullying and traditional bullying are much different from each other. They also say that one is worse than the other, but just how different are they? Many teens think that what they are posting or texting is a joke, but think if you would be on the receiving end. If the social media “joking”, continues it later becomes classified as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying and traditional bullying may have their differences, but they both are just as painful […]

Cyberbullying – how to Protect yourself

Cyber bullying is defined as misusing information to harass other people. Cyber bullying can come in many forms such as posting rude or negative words and rumors with the intent to publicly make fun of them in public. Cyber bullying is one of the main things that has become more frequent among teenagers, especially girls. Cyber bullying includes any kind of communications that want to do things such as control or manipulate any individual. A cyber bully's actions are frequent, […]

What Makes Cyberbullying Dangerous?

160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of the fear of getting bullied. Getting bullied is the third leading cause of death among young people. Bullying has become an epidemic. Being targeted by cyber bullies is not just emotional, but also physical. Cyberbullying can create anxiety and depression and sometimes it can lead to suicide. Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs through cell phones, tablets, and other devices. This type of bullying is done in many ways. For example, […]

Cyberbullying Among Teens

Before the internet, bullying was a problem, a problem that occurred in school hallways and popular hangout spots. Face-to-face bullying could only reach so far, the victims could choose to walk away and find a safe place. Adolescents and teenagers were safe in the privacy of their own homes. Hateful words and physical harm could not enter the walls of their own bedrooms. Now with rapidly growing technology bullying knows no boundaries. Cyberbullying has become a world-wide problem that can […]

Cyberbullying: the New Abuse of the Modern World

Cyberbullying has been an ongoing issue not just in the United States but for other countries as well. According to the Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia the definition of cyberbullying is intentional and repeated harm inflicted on people through the use of computers, cellular telephones, and other electronic devices (Cyberbullying). Cyberbullies often mock, harass, threaten, or humiliate others through electronic messages, images, or video (Cyberbullying). With technology continuing to progress, we have more sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and […]

The Dangers of Cyberbullying

In this essay I will explain to you what cyberbullying is, where you can find it the most, and why you should stop it. Cyberbullying has been around for a long time and can be used to in many ways. I personally have never dealt with someone cyberbullying me, but I have had friends that went through it and I can say to you it was very rough for them and I don’t wish that upon anyone. The reason that […]

Cyberbullying: Exploring Components of Offending in the Lens of the Social Learning Theory

Introduction As technology continues to advance in the 21st century, adolescents have become susceptible to the potential dangers that the Internet poses. Cross et al. (2015), stated that 98% of adolescents aged 12-14 years old have accessed the internet and have electronic devices such as cell phones and computers. It is suggested that the more time adolescents spend online in chat rooms, emails, and other social networking sites the more likely they are to be victims of various online crimes […]

Cyberbullying: a Growing Problem

Present day society has an increasing juvenile population who come into contact with technology and electronic devices every day. The proportion of teens with a smartphone has more than doubled since 2012, from 41% up to 89 %. Among 13 to 14 year olds, 84% now have a smartphone, and 93% have some type of mobile device such as a tablet. Nine out of 10 teens (89%) have their own smartphone, meaning that social media can be accessed anytime and […]

Cyberbullying is a Serious Cause for Concern

Introduction For this project I wanted to discuss Cyberbullying. I chose this because it is a huge issue still and has been since technology became more prominent in the youth. It is something that can be ignored and needs to be talked about. Educational Significance- The importance of this topic is that cyberbullying not only mentally effects students, follows them home, and can affect their school work. About half of young people have experienced some form of cyberbullying, and 10 […]

A Discussion on the Effects of Cyberbullying Among the Youth in Namibia

Introduction Cyberbullying became a major concern issue among the youth. Statistics revealed that 44.6% of pupils in secondary school are bullied, with 66% being grade 8 pupils'' (Nekomba, 2015) . According to the oxford dictionary (2014), cyberbullying is defined as the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of intimidating or threatening nature''. Cyberbullying occur through text messages, and applications or social media. This threatening act involves scaring someone. Social media refers to applications such […]

How is Cyberbullying Affecting Students of all Ages?

How is cyberbullying affecting students of All ages? Bullying has been a problem in schools since most of us can remember. As modern technology advances cyberbullying advances with it and takes on a new appearance. Kids these days have so many outlets of which they can use to bully one another. While Cyberbullying has been all over the news recently, technologies continue to advance, and this bullying seems to become more prevalent. Bullying has been happening for as long as […]

What is Cyberbullying?

Human all around the world are living in the 21st century and there is one thing most of us cannot live without is our phone. The number of internet uses and social networking have increased unbelievably. From that major problem of the society which people let the use of social networking increases, it creates many more concerns to the society. Most people use social networks for the sake of enriching their lives, to connect to other people. But there are […]

Cyberbullying – Growing Problem

Cyberbullying is a Growing Problem that Isn’t being Dealt with enough “go kill yourself” or “nobody needs you” or “disappear” is what appears on young children’s screens on a daily basis, mostly on snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and many more socializing apps. Nowadays, technology has advanced and evolved over the years and they have benefited us in so many ways. Such as work, school, socializing, and many more. But what if that technology was used against us, more specifically; adolescence. This […]

Technology has Improved

Technology has improved the lives of many. It has improved communication and learning, but there are some bad things about certain electronics. Phones, they can be very bad for people. Although they help us in today's society. There can be some bad side effects of social media and the phone in general. Three bad effects of cell phone use include bad grades, eye and brain damage,and cyberbullying. Phones can have a bad effect on grades. Using a phone before going […]

Cyberbullying and 13 Reasons why

There is no federal statue directly addressing cyberbullying. The federal law impacts cyberbullying when harassment is covered by the federal civil rights laws governing discrimination. The federal law can be implicated in certain cyberbullying incidents especially when student speech is being restricted. School districts are challenged daily addressing bullying and cyberbullying with on and off campus bullying behaviors and schools are sometimes challenged in court as free speech violations. All 50 states have enacted laws that prohibit bullying in school […]

Cyberbullying: what Can you Do?

Abstract The literature review article is on Cyberbullying. The areas that are covered in the review have been separated from the learning definition of cyberbullying. The roles of adolescents involved in this issue that are targeted are a part of the statistics. The reasons that cyberbullying has become an issue are the differences between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The discovery of cyberbullying will provide a foundation for developing cyberbullying intervention programs. The issue of cyberbullying is in existence has become […]

The Effects of Bullying and Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying basically refers to a type of bullying that usually occurs through the digital devices such as phones, tablets and computers. Normally this type of bullying occurs through SMS or rather text messages, phone applications or sometimes it may involve the social media platforms including and not limited to Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. Moreover, this type of bullying is commonly experienced by the young people and when it involves adults, it may yield to illegal cyber-stalking or cyber-harassment and in […]

Cyberbullying Laws

One myth that is prevalent in today's society is that cyberbullying is less serious and has less implications than traditional physical bullying. Although many people would believe that traditional bullying is more extensive and has a larger effect on a person's well-being because it is face to face, this may not be true. In fact, cyberbullying may be just as bad. "Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior […]

How Protecting Oneself from Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is prevalent in our society today and it radically affects teenagers. The impact is seen in news stories, posts on social media, and incidents happening at numerous schools around the country. Cyberbullying is ubiquitous, and victims can be identified by their behavior. The bullies themselves possess specific characteristics. This needs to be stopped. I will be discussing how to prevent cyberbullying, how parents can contribute to halting it, signs of cyberbullying, and finally, how to prevent it on social […]

Cyberbullying is a Serious Problem

The Cyberbullying has become a major social concern because raises questions about the ethical use of technology. In recent years, has been the subject of research and information and prevention and activities for different groups such as organizations, schools and parents’ to protect against the muse of technology, and because of that, this paper explains on how cyberbullying is the same to sociology and the issue of how is related to the world. Cyber-bullying is defined as an aggressive, intentional […]

Cyberbullying and Business

Cyberbullying is it normally associated with large corporations. Now social media is a company's downfall (David, 2018). The word cyber has anything dealing with networking and computers. It is a way someone can use computers to cause dangers or harm to anyone (Benner, 2012). This can be done by being hacked to where they can get your credit card information. This can also can destroy family and an individual's life. Businesses cannot protect themselves from this type of illegal attack. […]

The Internet has Changed Bullying

Many people around the world now have access to the internet. Teenagers use the internet for many reasons such as socializing, education, and to maintain personal and professional relationships. However, some teenagers misuse the internet for wrong reasons such as cyberbullying and racisms through social media. Teenagers should only be allowed to use social media only if they are using it the appropriate reasons. Cyberbullying and racisms happen even to this day because of immature behaviors that teenagers do not […]

Suicide and Bullying

A major concern in today’s society is the continuous growth in suicide in our youths. The Center for Disease Control and prevention reported that suicide was the third leading cause of death among adolescents in 2004. Due to bullying and cyberbullying adolescents are starting to feel depressed, hopelessness, loneliness, and are having a decrease in self-worth. There have been several high-profile cases involving teenagers taking their own lives because of them being harassed and mistreated over the internet. There is […]

Cyberbullying Technology: the Prevalence of Cyberstalking

Cyberbullying is the utilization of technology to promote unwanted behavior towards others. Devices such as the internet, social media forums and gaming apps can be used to post and share harmful information about someone else. Cyberbullying is considered extremely dangerous because in just a matter of seconds hurtful posts about someone else can be shared and become a kind of public record. Cyberbullying can have implications for everyone involved. However, more is being done to help address cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is […]

Featured Categories

Additional example essays.

• Positive Effects of Social Media
• Appropriate Age for Social Media
• Crime and the Why
• Educational Journey
• Leadership and the Army Profession
• Why College Should Not Be Free
• Shakespeare's Hamlet Character Analysis
• A Raisin in the Sun Theme
• Why Abortion Should be Illegal
• The Devil And Tom Walker: Romanticism
• Beauty Pageants for Children Should Be Banned: Protecting Child Well-being
• Recycling Should be Mandatory

How To Write an Essay About Cyber Bullying

Understanding cyber bullying.

Before writing an essay about cyber bullying, it's important to understand what it encompasses. Cyber bullying is a form of bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. It can include sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else, often causing embarrassment or humiliation. Start your essay by defining cyber bullying and discussing its various forms, such as harassment, outing, and cyberstalking. It's also important to explore the psychological impact of cyber bullying on victims, which can range from emotional distress to more severe consequences like depression and anxiety.

Developing a Thesis Statement

A strong essay on cyber bullying should be centered around a clear, concise thesis statement. This statement should present a specific viewpoint or argument about cyber bullying. For instance, you might discuss the effects of cyber bullying on adolescent mental health, analyze the role of social media platforms in facilitating cyber bullying, or argue for specific policies or interventions to prevent cyber bullying. Your thesis will guide the direction of your essay and provide a structured approach to your analysis.

Gathering Supporting Evidence

To support your thesis, gather evidence from a variety of sources, including statistical data, case studies, and research findings. This evidence might include prevalence rates of cyber bullying, psychological studies on its effects, or examples of successful intervention strategies. Use this evidence to support your thesis and build a persuasive argument. Remember to consider different perspectives and include testimonies or experiences of those who have been affected by cyber bullying.

Analyzing the Impact of Cyber Bullying

Dedicate a section of your essay to analyzing the impact of cyber bullying. Discuss how it differs from traditional forms of bullying in its reach and persistence, and explore the unique challenges it presents due to the digital nature of the interaction. Consider both the immediate and long-term effects of cyber bullying on individuals, as well as its broader social implications.

Concluding the Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your discussion and restating your thesis in light of the evidence provided. Your conclusion should tie together your analysis and emphasize the significance of addressing cyber bullying in the digital age. You might also want to suggest areas for future research, or propose specific actions that could be taken by individuals, communities, or policymakers to combat cyber bullying.

Reviewing and Refining Your Essay

After completing your essay, review and edit it for clarity and coherence. Ensure that your arguments are well-structured and supported by evidence. Check for grammatical accuracy and ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Consider seeking feedback from peers, educators, or experts in the field to refine your essay further. A well-crafted essay on cyber bullying will not only demonstrate your understanding of the issue but also your ability to engage with complex social and technological issues.

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• v.5(3); 2019 Mar

Cyberbullying and its influence on academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students

This study investigated the influence of cyberbullying on the academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students. It's objective is to provides additional data and understanding of the influence of cyberbullying on various variables affecting undergraduate students. The survey sample consisted of 638 Israeli undergraduate students. The data were collected using the Revised Cyber Bullying Survey, which evaluates the frequency and media used to perpetrate cyberbullying, and the College Adjustment Scales, which evaluate three aspects of development in college students. It was found that 57% of the students had experienced cyberbullying at least once or twice through different types of media. Three variables were found to have significant influences on the research variables: gender, religion and sexual preferences. Correlation analyses were conducted and confirmed significant relationships between cyberbullying, mainly through instant messaging, and the academic, social and emotional development of undergraduate students. Instant messaging (IM) was found to be the most common means of cyberbullying among the students.

The main conclusions are that although cyberbullying existence has been proven, studies of cyberbullying among undergraduate students have not been fully developed. This particular population needs special attention in future research. The results of this study indicate that cyberbullying has an influence on the academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students. Additional Implications of the findings are discussed.

1. Introduction

Cyberbullying is defined as the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person (such as a student) often done anonymously ( Merriam-Webster, 2017 ). Most of the investigations of cyberbullying have been conducted with students in elementary, middle and high school who were between 9 and 18 years old. Those studies focused on examining the prevalence and frequency of cyberbullying. Using “cyberbullying” and “higher-education” as key words in Google scholar (January, 2019) (all in title) yields only twenty one articles. In 2009, 2012 and 2013 one article appeared each year, since 2014 each year there were few publications. Of these articles only seven relates to effect of cyberbullying on the students, thus a gap in the literature exists in that it only minimally reports on studies involving undergraduate students. Given their relationship and access to technology, it is likely that cyberbullying occurs frequently among undergraduates. The purpose of this study is to examine the frequency and media used to perpetrate cyberbullying, as well as the relationship that it has with the academic, social and emotional development of undergraduate students.

Undergraduate students use the Internet for a wide variety of purposes. Those purposes include recreation, such as communicating in online groups or playing games; academics, such as doing assignments, researching scholarships or completing online applications; and practical, such as preparing for job interviews by researching companies. Students also use the Internet for social communication with increasing frequency.

The literature suggests that cyberbullied victims generally manifest psychological problems such as depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, school phobias and social anxiety ( Grene, 2003 ; Juvonen et al., 2003 ; Akcil, 2018 ). Moreover, research findings have shown that cyberbullying causes emotional and physiological damage to defenseless victims ( Akbulut and Eristi, 2011 ) as well as psychosocial difficulties including behavior problems ( Ybarra and Mitchell, 2007 ), drinking alcohol ( Selkie et al., 2015 ), smoking, depression, and low commitment to academics ( Ybarra and Mitchell, 2007 ).

Under great emotional stress, victims of cyberbullying are unable to concentrate on their studies, and thus their academic progress is adversely affected ( Akcil, 2018 ). Since the victims are often hurt psychologically, the depressive effect of cyberbullying prevents students from excelling in their studies ( Faryadi, 2011 ). The overall presence of cyberbullying victimization among undergraduate college students was found to be significantly related to the experience of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, low self-esteem, interpersonal problems, family tensions and academic underperformance ( Beebe, 2010 ).

1.1. Cyberbullying and internet

The Internet has been the most useful technology of modern times, which has enabled entirely new forms of social interaction, activities, and organizing. This has been possible thanks to its basic features such as widespread usability and access. However, it also causes undesirable behaviors that are offensive or threatening to others, such as cyberbullying. This is a relatively new phenomenon.

According to Belsey (2006, p.1) , “Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell-phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others.” Characteristics like anonymity, accessibility to electronic communication, and rapid audience spread, result in a limitless number of individuals that can be affected by cyberbullying.

Different studies suggest that undergraduate students' use of the Internet is more significant and frequent than any other demographic group. A 2014 survey of 1006 participants in the U.S. conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that 97% of young adults aged from 18 to 29 years use the Internet, email, or access the Internet via a mobile device. Among them, 91% were college students.

1.2. Mediums to perpetrate cyberbullying

The most frequent and common media within which cyberbullying can occur are:

Electronic mail (email): a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients.

Instant messaging: a type of online chat that offers real-time text transmission between two parties.

Chat rooms: a real-time online interaction with strangers with a shared interest or other similar connection.

Text messaging (SMS): the act of composing and sending a brief electronic message between two or more mobile phones.

Social networking sites: a platform to build social networks or social relations among people who share interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.

Web sites : a platform that provides service for personal, commercial, or government purpose.

Studies indicate that undergraduate students are cyberbullied most frequently through email, and least often in chat rooms ( Beebe, 2010 ). Other studies suggest that instant messaging is the most common electronic medium used to perpetrate cyberbullying ( Kowalski et al., 2018 ).

1.3. Types of cyberbullying

Watts et al. (2017) Describe 7 types of cyberbullying: flaming, online harassment, cyberstalking, denigration, masquerading, trickery and outing, and exclusion. Flaming involves sending angry, rude, or vulgar messages via text or email about a person either to that person privately or to an online group.

Harassment involves repeatedly sending offensive messages, and cyberstalking moves harassment online, with the offender sending threatening messages to his or her victim. Denigration occurs when the cyberbully sends untrue or hurtful messages about a person to others. Masquerading takes elements of harassment and denigration where the cyberbully pretends to be someone else and sends or posts threatening or harmful information about one person to other people. Trickery and outing occur when the cyberbully tricks an individual into providing embarrassing, private, or sensitive information and posts or sends the information for others to view. Exclusion is deliberately leaving individuals out of an online group, thereby automatically stigmatizing the excluded individuals.

Additional types of cyberbullying are: Fraping - where a person accesses the victim's social media account and impersonates them in an attempt to be funny or to ruin their reputation. Dissing - share or post cruel information online to ruin one's reputation or friendships with others. Trolling - is insulting an individual online to provoke them enough to get a response. Catfishing - steals one's online identity to re-creates social networking profiles for deceptive purposes. Such as signing up for services in the victim's name so that the victim receives emails or other offers for potentially embarrassing things such as gay-rights newsletters or incontinence treatment. Phishing - a tactic that requires tricking, persuading or manipulating the target into revealing personal and/or financial information about themselves and/or their loved ones. Stalking – Online stalking when a person shares her personal information publicly through social networking websites. With this information, stalkers can send them personal messages, send mysterious gifts to someone's home address and more. Blackmail – Anonymous e-mails, phone-calls and private messages are often done to a person who bear secrets. Photographs & video - Threaten to share them publicly unless the victim complies with a particular demand; Distribute them via text or email, making it impossible for the victim to control who sees the picture; Publish the pictures on the Internet for anyone to view. Shunning - persistently avoid, ignore, or reject someone mainly from participating in social networks. Sexting - send sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone.

1.4. Prevalence of cyberbullying

Previous studies have found that cyberbullying incidents among college students can range from 9% to 34% ( Baldasare et al., 2012 ).

Beebe (2010) conducted a study with 202 college students in United States. Results indicated that 50.7% of the undergraduate students represented in the sample reported experiencing cyberbullying victimization once or twice during their time in college. Additionally, 36.3% reported cyberbullying victimization on a monthly basis while in college. According to Dılmaç (2009) , 22.5% of 666 students at Selcuk University in Turkey reported cyberbullying another person at least once and 55.35% reported being a victim of cyberbullying at least once in their lifetimes. In a study of 131 students from seven undergraduate classes in United States, 11% of the respondents indicated having experienced cyberbullying at the university ( Walker et al., 2011 ). Of those, Facebook (64%), cell phones (43%) and instant messaging (43%) were the most frequent technologies used. Students indicated that 50% of the cyberbullies were classmates, 57% were individuals outside of the university, and 43% did not know who was cyberbullying them.

Data from the last two years (2017–18) is similar to the above. A research, of 187 undergraduate students matriculated at a large U.S. Northeastern metropolitan Roman Catholic university ( Webber and Ovedovitz, 2018 ), found that 4.3% indicated that they were victims of cyberbullying at the university level and a total of 7.5% students acknowledged having participated in bullying at that level while A survey (N = 338) at a large midwestern university conducted by Varghese and Pistole (2017) , showed that frequency counts indicated that 15.1% undergraduate students were cyberbully victims during college, and 8.0% were cyberbully offenders during college.

A study of 201 students from sixteen different colleges across the United States found a prevalence rate of 85.2% for college students who reported being victims of cyberbullying out of the total 201 responses recorded. This ranged from only occasional incidents to almost daily experiences with cyberbullying victimization ( Poole, 2017 ).

In A research of international students, 20.7% reported that they have been cyberbullied in the last 30 days once to many times ( Akcil, 2018 ).

1.5. Psychological impact of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying literature suggests that victims generally manifest psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, social exclusion, school phobias and poor academic performance ( DeHue et al., 2008 ; Juvonen and Gross, 2008 ; Kowalski and Limber, 2007 ; Grene, 2003 ; Juvonen et al., 2003 ; Rivituso, 2012 ; Varghese and Pistole, 2017 ; Na, 2014 ; Akcil, 2018 ), low self-esteem, family problems, school violence and delinquent behavior ( Webber and Ovedovitz, 2018 ), which brings them to experience suicidal thoughts as a means of escaping the torture ( Ghadampour et al., 2017 ).

Moreover, research findings have shown that cyberbullying causes emotional and physiological damage to defenseless victims ( Faryadi, 2011 ) as well as psychosocial problems including inappropriate behaviors, drinking alcohol, smoking, depression and low commitment to academics ( Walker et al., 2011 ).

The victims of cyberbullying, under great emotional stress, are unable to concentrate on their studies, and thus their academic progress is adversely affected ( Faryadi, 2011 ). Since the victims are often hurt psychologically, the depressive effect of cyberbullying prevents students from excelling in their studies ( Faryadi, 2011 ).

In a Malaysian university study with 365 first year students, the majority of the participants (85%) interviewed indicated that cyberbullying affected their academic performance, specifically their grades ( Faryadi, 2011 ). Also, 85% of the respondents agreed that bullying caused a devastating impact on students' emotions and equally caused unimaginable psychological problems among the victims. Heiman and Olenik-Shemesh (2018) report that for students with learning disabilities, predictors of cybervictimization were low social support, low self-perception, and being female, whereas for students without learning disabilities, the predictors were low social support, low well-being, and low body perception.

1.6. Academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students

The transition to academic institutions is marked by complex challenges in emotional, social, and academic adjustment ( Gerdes and Mallinckrodt, 1994 ; Parker et al., 2004 ).

The adaptation to a new environment is an important factor in academic performance and future achievement. Undergraduate students are not only developing academically and intellectually, they are also establishing and maintaining personal relationships, developing an identity, deciding about a career and lifestyle, and maintaining personal health and wellness. Many students are interacting with people from diverse backgrounds who hold different values and making new friends. Some are also adapting to living away from home for the very first time ( Inkelas et al., 2007 ).

The concept of academic development involves not only academic abilities, but motivational factors, and institutional commitment. Motivation to learn, taking actions to meet academic demands, a clear sense of purpose, and general satisfaction with the academic environment are also important components of the academic field ( Lau, 2003 ).

A second dimension, the social field, may be as important as academic factors. Writers have emphasized integration into the social environment as a crucial element in commitment to a particular academic institution ( Tinto, 1975 ). Becoming integrated into the social life of college, forming a support network, and managing new social freedoms are some important elements of social development. Crises in the social field include conflict in a living situation, starting or maintaining relationships, interpersonal conflicts, family issues, and financial issues ( McGrath, 2005 ), which are manifested as feelings of loneliness ( Clark et al., 2015 ).

In the emotional field, students commonly question their relationships, direction in life, and self-worth ( Rey et al., 2011 ). A balanced personality is one which is emotionally adjusted. Emotional adjustment is essential for creating a sound personality. physical, intellectual mental and esthetical adjustments are possible when emotional adjustment is made ( Ziapour et al., 2018 ). Inner disorders may result from questions about identity and can sometimes lead to personal crises ( Gerdes and Mallinckrodt, 1994 ). Emotional problems may be manifested as global psychological distress, somatic distress, anxiety, low self-esteem, or depression. Impediments to success in emotional development include depression and anxiety, stress, substance abuse, and relationship problems ( Beebe, 2010 ).

The current study is designed to address two research questions: (1) does cyberbullying affect college students' emotional state, as measured by the nine factors of the College Adjustment Scales ( Anton and Reed, 1991 ); (2) which mode of cyberbullying most affects students' emotional state?

2.1. Research settings and participants

The present study is set in Israeli higher education colleges. These, function as: (1) institutions offering undergraduate programs in a limited number of disciplinary fields (mainly the social sciences), (2) centers for training studies (i.e.: teacher training curricula), as well as (3) as creators of access to higher education. The general student population is heterogeneous, coming from the Western Galilee. In this study, 638 Israeli undergraduate students participated. The sample is a representative of the population of the Western galilee in Israel. The sample was 76% female, 70% single, 51% Jewish, 27% Arabs, 7% Druze, and 15% other ethnicity. On the dimension of religiosity, 47% were secular, 37% traditional, 12% religious, 0.5% very religious, and 3.5% other. On the dimension of sexual orientation, 71% were straight women, 23.5% straight men, 4% bisexual, 1% lesbians, and 0.5% gay males (note: according to the Williams Institute, approximately 4% of the population in the US are LGBT, [ Gates, 2011 ], while 6% of the EU population are LGBT, [ Dalia, 2016 ]).

2.2. Instrumentation

Two instruments were used to collect data: The Revised Cyber Bullying Survey (RCBS), with a Cronbach's alpha ranging from .74 to .91 ( Kowalski and Limber, 2007 ), designed to measure incidence, frequency and medium used to perpetrate cyberbullying. The survey is a 32-item questionnaire. The frequency was investigated using a 5-item scale with anchors ranging from ‘it has never happened to me’ to ‘several times a week’. Five different media were explored: email, instant messaging, chat room, text messaging, and social networking sites. Each medium was examined with the same six questions related to cases of cyberbullying (see Table 1 ).

Description of the Revised Cyber Bullying Survey (RCBS) variables.

Note: the theoretical range is between zero to twenty-four.

Table 1 shows the five variables that composed the RCBS questionnaire (all of the variables are composed of 6 statements). The results indicate that the levels of all the variables is very low, which means that the respondents experienced cyberbullying once or twice. The internal consistency reliability estimate based on the current sample suggested that most of the variables have an adequate to high level of reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.68–0.87.

The College Adjustment Scales (CAS) ( Anton and Reed, 1991 ), evaluated the academic, social, and emotional development of college students. Values were standardized and validated for use with college students. The validity for each subscale ranged from .64 to .80, noting high correlations among scales. Reliability of the scales ranged from .80 to .92, with a mean of .86. The instrument included 128 items, divided into 10 scales: anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, self-esteem problems, interpersonal problems, family problems, academic problems, career problems, and regular activities (see Table 2 ). Students responded to each item using a four-point scale.

Description of CAS variables.

Anxiety: A measure of clinical anxiety, focusing on common affective, cognitive, and physiological symptoms.

Depression: A measure of clinical depression, focusing on common affective, cognitive, and physiological symptoms.

Suicidal Ideation: A measure of the extent of recent ideation reflecting suicide, including thoughts of suicide, hopelessness, and resignation.

Substance Abuse: A measure of the extent of disruption in interpersonal, social, academic, and vocational functioning as a result of substance use and abuse.

Self-esteem Problems: A measure of global self-esteem which taps negative self-evaluations and dissatisfaction with personal achievement.

Interpersonal Problems: A measure of the extent of problems in relating to others in the campus environment.

Family Problems: A measure of difficulties experienced in relationships with family members.

Academic Problems: A measure of the extent of problems related to academic performance.

Career Problems: A measure of the extent of problems related to career choice.

Participants also responded to a demographic questionnaire that included items on gender, birth year, marital status, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. As sexual orientation is a major cause for bullying ( Pollock, 2006 ; Cahill and Makadon, 2014 ), it was included in the background information.

Convenience sampling and purposive sampling were used for this study. Surveys with written instructions were administered in classrooms, libraries and online via Google Docs at the end of the semester.

The surveys were translated to Hebrew and back translated four times until sufficient translation was achieved. The research was approved by the Western Galilee College Research and Ethic Committee.

A sizeable percentage, 57.4% (366), of the respondents reported being cyber bullied at least once and 3.4% (22) reported being cyber bullied at least once a week. The types of bullies can be seen in Fig. 1 .

Types of bullies.

Three variables were found to have significant influences on the research variables: (1) gender (see Table 3 ); (2) religion (see Table 4 ); and (3) sexual preferences (see Table 5 ).

Results of independent t-tests for research variables by gender.

Note: n male = 127, n female = 510, *p < .05.

Results of independent t-tests for research variables by level of religion.

Note: n religious = 345, n secular = 293, ∗ p < .05, ∗∗ p < .01, ∗∗∗ p < .001.

Results of independent t-tests for research variables by sexual preference.

Note: n heterosexual = 596, n other = 42, ∗ p < .05, ∗∗ p < .01, ∗∗∗ p < .001.

Independent t-tests between the CAS variables and gender show significant differences between females and males (see Table 3 ).

Independent t-tests between the CAS variables and level of religiosity show significant differences between secular and religious persons, i.e., observant believers (see Table 4 ).

Independent t-tests between the CAS variables and sexual preference show significant differences between heterosexual individuals and others (see Table 5 ).

The research population was divided into three age groups having five year intervals. One respondent who was 14 years old was removed from the population.

For the variable “career problems” it was found that there was a significant difference between the 26–30 year age group [p < .05, F(2,5815) = 3.49, M = 56.55] and the 31–35 (M = 56.07) as well as the 20–25 (M = 54.58) age groups.

For the variable "depression" it was found that there was a significant difference between the 20–25 year age group [p < .05, F(2,5815) = 3.84, M = 54.56] and the 31–35 (M = 51.61) as well as the 26–30 (M = 52.83) age groups.

For the variable “interpersonal problems” it was found that there was a significant difference between the 20–25 year age group [p < .06, F(2,5815) = 3.84, M = 53.85] and the 31–35 (M = 51.29) as well as the 26–30 (M = 52.19) age groups.

For the variable “suicidal ideation” it was found that there was a significant difference between the 20–25 year age group [p < .06, F(2,5815) = 3.84, M = 55.45] and the 31–35 (M = 49.71) as well as the 26–30 (M = 50.13) age groups (see Table 6 ).

Results of one way Anova for research variables by age.

Note: n 20-25 = 216, n 26-30 = 287, n 31-35 = 82, ∗ p < .05, ∗∗ p < .01, ∗∗∗ p < .001.

To confirm that there was no effect among the independent variables, a Pearson correlation analysis of cyberbullying with CAS variables was run. As the correlations between the independent variables are weak, no multicollinearity between them was noted (see Table 7 ).

Pearson correlation of cyberbullying with CAS variables.

Note: n = 638, ∼ p < .06, ∗ p < .05, ∗∗ p < .01, ∗∗∗ p < .001.

Regression analyses on the effect of the cyberbullying variables on the CAS variables (see Fig. 2 ) show that an increase in cyberbullying by social networking and IM increases the academic problems variable. The model explained 6.1% of the variance (F (13,585) = 2.94, p < .001) and shows an increase in the suicidal ideation variable. There is also a marginal effect of cyberbullying by SMS on suicidal ideation, revealing that an increase in cyberbullying by SMS causes a decrease in suicidal ideation. The explained variance of the model is 24.8% (F (11,584) = 14.80, p < .001). Higher cyberbullying by social networking results in an increase in the anxiety variable. The explained variance of the model is 8.8% (F (13,584) = 4.32, p < .001). An increase in cyberbullying by chat and IM shows an increase in the substance abuse variable. The model explains 13% of the variance (F (13,584) = 6.71, p < .001). Increasing cyberbullying by social networking and IM increases the self-esteem problems variable. The explained variance of the model is 9% (F (13,584) = 4.43, p < .001). An increase of cyberbullying by email increases the problems students have with regular activities. The explained variance of the model is 5.2% (F (13,575) = 2.44, p < .01). Heightened cyberbullying by social networking and IM increases students' interpersonal problems. There is also an effect of cyberbullying by IM on suicidal ideation, such that an increase in cyberbullying by IM causes a decrease in interpersonal problems. The explained variance of the model is 8% (F (13,584) = 3.89, p < .001). An increase in cyberbullying by SMS decreases the family problems variable. The explained variance of the model is 11.4% (F (13,584) = 5.76, p < .001). And finally, heightened cyberbullying by IM and social networking decreases the depression variable. The variance explained by the model is 11.9% (F (13,584) = 6.04, p < .001).

The influence of academic cyberbullying variables on the CAS variables.

4. Discussion

The objective of this study was to fill an existing gap in the literature regarding the influence of cyberbullying on the academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students.

As has been presented, cyberbullying continues to be a disturbing trend not only among adolescents but also undergraduate students. Cyberbullying exists in colleges and universities, and it has an influence on the development of students. Fifty seven percent of the undergraduate students who participated in this study had experienced cyberbullying at least once during their time in college. As previous studies have found that cyberbullying incidents among college students can range from 9% to 50% ( Baldasare et al., 2012 ; Beebe, 2010 ) it seems that 57% is high. Considering the effect of smartphone abundance on one hand and on the other the increasing use of online services and activities by young-adults can explain that percentage.

Considering the effect of such an encounter on the academic, social and emotional development of undergraduate students, policy makers face a formidable task to address the relevant issues and to take corrective action as Myers and Cowie (2017) point out that due to the fact that universities are in the business of education, it is a fine balancing act between addressing the problem, in this case cyberbullying, and maintaining a duty of care to both the victim and the perpetrator to ensure they get their degrees. There is a clear tension for university authorities between acknowledging that university students are independent young adults, each responsible for his or her own actions, on one hand, and providing supervision and monitoring to ensure students' safety in educational and leisure contexts.

Although there are increasing reports on connections between cyberbullying and social-networks (see: Gahagan et al., 2016 ), sending SMS or MMS messages through Internet gateways ensures anonymity, thus indirectly supporting cyberbullying. A lot of websites require only login or a phone number that can also be made up ( Gálik et al., 2018 ) which can explain the fact that instant-messaging (IM) was found to be the most common means of cyberbullying among undergraduate students with a negative influence on academic, family, and emotional development (depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation). A possible interpretation of the higher frequency of cyberbullying through IM may be that young adults have a need to be connected.

This medium allows for being online in ‘real time’ with many peers or groups. With the possibility of remaining anonymous (by creating an avatar – a fake profile) and the possibility of exposing private information that remains recorded, students who use instant messaging become easy targets for cyberbullying. IM apps such as WhatsApp are extremely popular as they allow messages, photos, videos, and recordings to be shared and spread widely and in real time.

Students use the Internet as a medium and use it with great frequency in their everyday lives. As more aspects of students' lives and daily affairs are conducted online, coupled with the fact that excessive use may have consequences, it is important for researchers and academic policy makers to study the phenomenon of cyberbullying more deeply.

Sexual orientation is also a significant factor that increases the risk of victimization. Similarly, Rivers (2016) documented the rising incidence of homophobic and transphobic bullying at university and argues strongly for universities to be more active in promoting tolerance and inclusion on campus. It is worth noting that relationships and sexual orientation probably play a huge role in bullying among university students due to their age and the fact that the majority of students are away from home and experiencing different forms of relationships for the first time. Faucher et al. (2014) actually found that same sex cyberbullying was more common at university level than at school. Nonetheless, the research is just not there yet to make firm conclusions.

Finally, cyberbullying is not only an adolescent issue. Although its existence has been proven, studies of cyberbullying among undergraduate students have not been fully developed. This particular population needs special attention in future research.

The results of this study indicate that cyberbullying has an influence on the academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students.

In the academic field, findings revealed a statistically significant correlation between cyberbullying perpetrated by email and academic problems. Relationships between academic problems and cyberbullying perpetrated by other media were not found. This suggests that cyberbullying through instant messaging, chat room, text messaging, and social networking sites, have not influenced academic abilities, motivation to learn, and general satisfaction with the academic environment. However, cyberbullying perpetrated by email has an influence on academics, perhaps because of the high use of this medium among undergraduate students.

With regard to career problems, correlations with cyberbullying were not found. This indicates that cyberbullying has no influence on career problems, perhaps because these kinds of problems are related to future career inspirations, and not to the day-to-day aspects of a student's life.

In the social field, it was found that interpersonal problems such as integration into the social environment, forming a support network, and managing new social freedoms, were related to cyberbullying via social networking sites. This finding is consistent with the high use of social networking sites, the purpose of the medium, and the reported episodes of cyberbullying in that medium.

Family problems were also related to cyberbullying perpetrated by all kinds of media. This may indicate that as cyberbullying through the use of email, instant messaging, chat rooms, text messaging, and social networking sites increases, so do family problems. This could be due to the strong influence that cyberbullying generates in all the frameworks of students, including their families.

Finally, in the emotional field, correlations between cyberbullying perpetrated by all kinds of media and substance abuse were found. This may indicate that as cyberbullying through the use of email, instant messaging, chat rooms, text messaging, and social networking sites increases, so does substance abuse. This is important because cyberbullying may be another risk factor for increasing the probability of substance abuse.

Depression and suicidal ideation were significantly related to the same media – email instant messaging and chat cyberbullying – suggesting that depression may lead to a decision of suicide as a solution to the problem. Previous findings support the above that being an undergraduate student – a victim of cyberbullying emerges as an additional risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms ( Myers and Cowie, 2017 ). Also Selkie et al. (2015) reported among 265 female college students, being engaged in cyberbullying as bullies, victims, or both led to higher rates of depression and alcohol use.

Relationships between anxiety and cyberbullying, through all the media, were not found although Schenk and Fremouw (2012) found that college student victims of cyberbullying scored higher than matched controls on measures of depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, and paranoia. This may be because it was demonstrated that anxiety is one of the most common reported mental health problems in all undergraduate students, cyberbullied or not.

Self-esteem problems were significantly related to cyberbullying via instant messaging, social networking sites, and text messaging. This may suggest that as cyberbullying through instant messaging, social networking sites, and text messaging increases, so do self-esteem problems. This is an important finding, given that these were the media with more reported episodes of cyberbullying.

5. Conclusions

This findings of this study revealed that cyberbullying exists in colleges and universities, and it has an influence on the academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students.

It was shown that cyberbullying is perpetrated through multiple electronic media such as email, instant messaging, chat rooms, text messaging, and social networking sites. Also, it was demonstrated that students exposed to cyberbullying experience academic problems, interpersonal problems, family problems, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and self-esteem problems.

Students have exhibited clear preferences towards using the Internet as a medium and utilize it with great frequency in their everyday lives. As more and more aspects of students' lives are conducted online, and with the knowledge that excessive use may have consequences for them, it is important to study the phenomenon of cyberbullying more deeply.

Because college students are preparing to enter the workforce, and several studies have indicated a trend of cyberbullying behavior and victimization throughout a person's lifetime ( Watts et al., 2017 ), the concern is these young adults are bringing these attitudes into the workplace.

Finally, cyberbullying is not only an adolescent issue. Given that studies of cyberbullying among undergraduate students are not fully developed, although existence of the phenomenon is proven, we conclude that the college and university population needs special attention in future areas of research. As it has been indicated by Peled et al. (2012) that firm policy in regard to academic cheating reduces its occurrence, colleges should draw clear guidelines to deal with the problem of cyberbullying, part of it should be a safe and if needed anonymous report system as well as clear punishing policy for perpetrators.

As there's very little research on the effect of cyberbullying on undergraduates students, especially in light of the availability of hand held devices (mainly smartphones) and the dependence on the internet for basically every and any activity, the additional data provided in this research adds to the understanding of the effect of cyberbullying on the welfare of undergraduate students.

Declarations

Author contribution statement.

Yehuda Peled: Conceived and designed the experiments; Performed the experiments; Analyzed and interpreted the data; Contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools or data; Wrote the paper.

Funding statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

No additional information is available for this paper.

• Akbulut Y., Eristi B. Cyberbullying and victimization among Turkish university students. Australas. J. Educ. Technol. 2011; 27 (7):1155–1170. [ Google Scholar ]
• Akcil S. Kent State University; 2018. Cyberbullying-Victimization, Acculturative Stress, and Depression Among International College Students. Doctoral dissertation. [ Google Scholar ]
• Anton D.W., Reed R.J. Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc; 1991. College Adjustment Scales. [ Google Scholar ]
• Baldasare A., Bauman S., Goldman L., Robie A. Cyberbullying: voices of college students. Cutting Edge Technol. Higher Educ. 2012; 5 :127–155. https://studentaffairs.arizona.edu/assessment/documents/CyberbullyChapterFinal.pdf Retrieved from. [ Google Scholar ]
• Beebe J.E. University of Northern Colorado; 2010. The Prevalence of Cyber Bullying Victimization and its Relationship to Academic, Social, and Emotional Adjustment Among College Students. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED517400 ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation. [ Google Scholar ]
• Belsey B. 2006. Cyber Bullying: an Emerging Threat to “Always on” Generation. http://www.cyberbullying.ca/pdf/Cyberbullying_Article_by_Bill_Belsey.pdf From. [ Google Scholar ]
• Cahill S., Makadon H. Sexual orientation and gender identity data collection in clinical settings and in electronic health records: a key to ending LGBT health disparities. LGBT Health. 2014; 1 (1):34–41. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Clark D.M.T., Loxton N.J., Tobin S.J. Declining loneliness over time: evidence from American colleges and high schools. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 2015; 41 (1):78–89. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Dalia–Global consumer understanding . 2016. Counting the LGBT Population: 6% of Europeans Identify as LGBT. https://daliaresearch.com/counting-the-lgbt-population-6-of-europeans-identify-as-lgbt/ [ Google Scholar ]
• DeHue F., Bolman C., Völlink T. Cyberbullying: youngsters' experiences and parental perception. Cyberpsychol. Behav. 2008; 11 (2):217–223. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Dılmaç B. Psychological needs as a predictor of cyber bullying: a preliminary report on college students. Educ. Sci. Theor. Pract. 2009; 9 (3):1307–1325. [ Google Scholar ]
• Faryadi Q. Cyber bullying and academic performance. Int. J. Comput. Eng. Res. 2011; 1 (1):2250–3005. [ Google Scholar ]
• Faucher C., Jackson M., Cassidy W. Cyberbullying among university students: gendered experiences, impacts, and perspectives. Educ. Res. Int. 2014 [ Google Scholar ]
• Gálik S., Hladíková V., Pavlák L. Cyberbullying and opportunities for its prevention. Media Lit. Acad. Res. 2018; 1 (1):6–17. [ Google Scholar ]
• Gahagan K., Vaterlaus J.M., Frost L.R. College student cyberbullying on social networking sites: conceptualization, prevalence, and perceived bystander responsibility. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2016; 55 :1097–1105. [ Google Scholar ]
• Gates G.J. The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law; 2011. How many People Are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender? https://escholarship.org/uc/item/09h684x2 [ Google Scholar ]
• Gerdes H., Mallinckrodt B. Emotional, social, and academic adjustment of college students: a longitudinal study of retention. J. Couns. Dev. 1994; 72 (3):281–288. [ Google Scholar ]
• Ghadampour F., Shafiei M., Heidarirad H. Relationships among cyberbullying, psychological vulnerability and suicidal thoughts in female and male students. J. Res. Psychol. Health. 2017; 11 :28–40. [ Google Scholar ]
• Grene M.B. Counselling and climate change as treatment modalities for bullying in school. Int. J. Adv. Couns. 2003; 25 (4):293–302. [ Google Scholar ]
• Heiman T., Olenik Shemesh D. Predictors of cyber-victimization of higher-education students with and without learning disabilities. J. Youth Stud. 2018:1–18. [ Google Scholar ]
• Inkelas K.K., Daver Z.E., Vogt K.E., Leonard J.B. Living–learning programs and first-generation college students’ academic and social transition to college. Res. High. Educ. 2007; 48 (4):403–434. [ Google Scholar ]
• Juvonen J., Graham S., Shuster M.A. Bullying among young adolescents: the strong, the weak, and the troubled. Paediatrics. 2003; 112 (6):1231–1237. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Juvonen J., Gross E.F. Extending the school grounds?—bullying experiences in cyberspace. J. Sch. Health. 2008; 78 (9):496–505. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kowalski R.M., Limber S.P. Electronic bullying among middle school children. J. Adolesc. Health. 2007; 41 :S22–S30. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kowalski R., Limber S.P., McCord A. A developmental approach to cyberbullying: prevalence and protective factors. Aggress. Violent Behav. 2018 [ Google Scholar ]
• Lau L.K. Institutional factors affecting student retention. Education. 2003; 124 (1):126–137. [ Google Scholar ]
• McGrath S. 2005. The Multiple Contexts of Vocational Education and Training in Southern Africa. Vocational Education and Training in Southern Africa: a Comparative Study; pp. 1–8. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/7250 URI: [ Google Scholar ]
• Merriam-Webster . 2017. On-line Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyberbullying [ Google Scholar ]
• Myers C.A., Cowie H. Bullying at university: the social and legal contexts of cyberbullying among university students. J. Cross Cult. Psychol. 2017; 48 (8):1172–1182. [ Google Scholar ]
• Na H. 2014. The Effects of Cyberbullying Victimization on Psychological Adjustments Among College Students. https://dspace-prod.lib.uic.edu/bitstream/handle/10027/11288/Na_Hyunjoo.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Doctoral dissertation. [ Google Scholar ]
• Parker J.D., Summerfeldt L.J., Hogan M.J., Majeski S.A. Emotional intelligence and academic success: examining the transition from high school to university. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 2004; 36 (1):163–172. [ Google Scholar ]
• Peled Y., Barczyk C., Sarid M. Institutional Characteristics and faculty perceptions of academic dishonesty. Educ. Pract. Theor. 2012; 34 (2):61–79. [ Google Scholar ]
• Pollock S.L. Counsellor roles in dealing with bullies and their LGBT victims. Middle Sch. J. 2006; 38 (2):29–36. [ Google Scholar ]
• Poole S.P. Vol. 115. 2017. The Experience of Victimization as the Result of Cyberbullying Among College Students: A Study of Demographics, Self-Esteem, and Locus of Control. http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/115 Electronic Theses and Dissertations. [ Google Scholar ]
• Rey L., Extremera N., Pena M. Perceived emotional intelligence, self-esteem and life satisfaction in adolescents. Psychosoc. Interv. 2011; 20 (2) [ Google Scholar ]
• Rivers I. Homophobic and transphobic bullying in universities. In: Cowie H., Myers C.-A., editors. Bullying Among university Students. Routledge; London, England: 2016. pp. 48–60. [ Google Scholar ]
• Rivituso G. 2012. Cyberbullying: an Exploration of the Lived Experiences and the Psychological Impact of Victimization Among College Students an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Education Doctoral Theses. Paper 21. [ Google Scholar ]
• Selkie E.M., Kota R., Chan Y.F., Moreno M. Cyberbullying, depression, and problem alcohol use in female college students: a multisite study. Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2015; 18 (2):79–86. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Schenk A.M., Fremouw W.J. Prevalence, psychological impact, and coping of cyberbully victims among college students. J. Sch. Violence. 2012; 11 :21–37. [ Google Scholar ]
• Tinto V. Dropout from higher education: a theoretical synthesis of recent research. Rev. Educ. Res. 1975; 45 (1):89–125. [ Google Scholar ]
• Varghese M.E., Pistole M.C. College student cyberbullying: self-esteem, depression, loneliness, and attachment. J. Coll. Couns. 2017; 20 (1):7–21. [ Google Scholar ]
• Walker C.M., Sockman B.J., Koehn S. An exploratory study of cyberbullying with undergraduate university students. TechTrends. 2011; 55 (2):31–38. [ Google Scholar ]
• Watts L.K., Wagner J., Velasquez B., Behrens P.I. Cyberbullying in higher education: a literature review. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2017; 69 :268–274. [ Google Scholar ]
• Webber M.A., Ovedovitz A.C. Cyberbullying among college students: a look at its prevalence at a U.S. Catholic University. Int. J. Educ. Methodol. 2018; 4 (2):101–107. [ Google Scholar ]
• Ybarra M.L., Mitchell K.J. Prevalence and frequency of internet harassment instigation: implications for adolescent health. J. Adolesc. Health. 2007; 41 :189–195. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ziapour A., Khatony A., Jafari F., Kianipour N. Correlation of personality traits with happiness among university students. J. Clin. Diagn. Res. 2018; 12 (4) [ Google Scholar ]

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diet & Nutrition
• Supplements
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Cyberbullying: Everything You Need to Know

• Cyberbullying
• How to Respond

Cyberbullying is the act of intentionally and consistently mistreating or harassing someone through the use of electronic devices or other forms of electronic communication (like social media platforms).

Because cyberbullying mainly affects children and adolescents, many brush it off as a part of growing up. However, cyberbullying can have dire mental and emotional consequences if left unaddressed.

This article discusses cyberbullying, its adverse effects, and what can be done about it.

FangXiaNuo / Getty Images

Cyberbullying Statistics and State Laws

The rise of digital communication methods has paved the way for a new type of bullying to form, one that takes place outside of the schoolyard. Cyberbullying follows kids home, making it much more difficult to ignore or cope.

Statistics 

As many as 15% of young people between 12 and 18 have been cyberbullied at some point. However, over 25% of children between 13 and 15 were cyberbullied in one year alone.

About 6.2% of people admitted that they’ve engaged in cyberbullying at some point in the last year. The age at which a person is most likely to cyberbully one of their peers is 13.

Those subject to online bullying are twice as likely to self-harm or attempt suicide . The percentage is much higher in young people who identify as LGBTQ, at 56%.

Cyberbullying by Sex and Sexual Orientation

Cyberbullying statistics differ among various groups, including:

• Girls and boys reported similar numbers when asked if they have been cyberbullied, at 23.7% and 21.9%, respectively.
• LGBTQ adolescents report cyberbullying at higher rates, at 31.7%. Up to 56% of young people who identify as LGBTQ have experienced cyberbullying.
• Transgender teens were the most likely to be cyberbullied, at a significantly high rate of 35.4%.

State Laws 

The laws surrounding cyberbullying vary from state to state. However, all 50 states have developed and implemented specific policies or laws to protect children from being cyberbullied in and out of the classroom.

The laws were put into place so that students who are being cyberbullied at school can have access to support systems, and those who are being cyberbullied at home have a way to report the incidents.

Legal policies or programs developed to help stop cyberbullying include:

• Bullying prevention programs
• Cyberbullying education courses for teachers
• Procedures designed to investigate instances of cyberbullying
• Support systems for children who have been subject to cyberbullying 

Are There Federal Laws Against Cyberbullying?

There are no federal laws or policies that protect people from cyberbullying. However, federal involvement may occur if the bullying overlaps with harassment. Federal law will get involved if the bullying concerns a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, or religion.

Examples of Cyberbullying 

There are several types of bullying that can occur online, and they all look different.

Harassment can include comments, text messages, or threatening emails designed to make the cyberbullied person feel scared, embarrassed, or ashamed of themselves.

Other forms of harassment include:

• Using group chats as a way to gang up on one person
• Making derogatory comments about a person based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or other characteristics
• Posting mean or untrue things on social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, as a way to publicly hurt the person experiencing the cyberbullying  

Impersonation

A person may try to pretend to be the person they are cyberbullying to attempt to embarrass, shame, or hurt them publicly. Some examples of this include:

• Hacking into someone’s online profile and changing any part of it, whether it be a photo or their "About Me" portion, to something that is either harmful or inappropriate
• Catfishing, which is when a person creates a fake persona to trick someone into a relationship with them as a joke or for their own personal gain
• Making a fake profile using the screen name of their target to post inappropriate or rude remarks on other people’s pages

Other Examples

Not all forms of cyberbullying are the same, and cyberbullies use other tactics to ensure that their target feels as bad as possible. Some tactics include:

• Taking nude or otherwise degrading photos of a person without their consent
• Sharing or posting nude pictures with a wide audience to embarrass the person they are cyberbullying
• Sharing personal information about a person on a public website that could cause them to feel unsafe
• Physically bullying someone in school and getting someone else to record it so that it can be watched and passed around later
• Circulating rumors about a person

How to Know When a Joke Turns Into Cyberbullying

People may often try to downplay cyberbullying by saying it was just a joke. However, any incident that continues to make a person feel shame, hurt, or blatantly disrespected is not a joke and should be addressed. People who engage in cyberbullying tactics know that they’ve crossed these boundaries, from being playful to being harmful.

Effects and Consequences of Cyberbullying 

Research shows many negative effects of cyberbullying, some of which can lead to severe mental health issues. Cyberbullied people are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts, actions, or behaviors and engage in self-harm as those who are not.

Other negative health consequences of cyberbullying are:

• Stomach pain and digestive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulties with academics
• Violent behaviors
• High levels of stress
• Inability to feel safe
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness

If You’ve Been Cyberbullied 

Being on the receiving end of cyberbullying is hard to cope with. It can feel like you have nowhere to turn and no escape. However, some things can be done to help overcome cyberbullying experiences.

Advice for Preteens and Teenagers

The best thing you can do if you’re being cyberbullied is tell an adult you trust. It may be challenging to start the conversation because you may feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, if it is not addressed, it can get worse.

Other ways you can cope with cyberbullying include:

• Walk away : Walking away online involves ignoring the bullies, stepping back from your computer or phone, and finding something you enjoy doing to distract yourself from the bullying.
• Don’t retaliate : You may want to defend yourself at the time. But engaging with the bullies can make matters worse.
• Keep evidence : Save all copies of the cyberbullying, whether it be posts, texts, or emails, and keep them if the bullying escalates and you need to report them.
• Report : Social media sites take harassment seriously, and reporting them to site administrators may block the bully from using the site.
• Block : You can block your bully from contacting you on social media platforms and through text messages.

In some cases, therapy may be a good option to help cope with the aftermath of cyberbullying.

Advice for Parents

As a parent, watching your child experience cyberbullying can be difficult. To help in the right ways, you can:

• Offer support and comfort : Listening to your child explain what's happening can be helpful. If you've experienced bullying as a child, sharing that experience may provide some perspective on how it can be overcome and that the feelings don't last forever.
• Make sure they know they are not at fault : Whatever the bully uses to target your child can make them feel like something is wrong with them. Offer praise to your child for speaking up and reassure them that it's not their fault.
• Contact the school : Schools have policies to protect children from bullying, but to help, you have to inform school officials.
• Keep records : Ask your child for all the records of the bullying and keep a copy for yourself. This evidence will be helpful to have if the bullying escalates and further action needs to be taken.
• Try to get them help : In many cases, cyberbullying can lead to mental stress and sometimes mental health disorders. Getting your child a therapist gives them a safe place to work through their experience.

In the Workplace 

Although cyberbullying more often affects children and adolescents, it can also happen to adults in the workplace. If you are dealing with cyberbullying at your workplace, you can:

• Let your bully know how what they said affected you and that you expect it to stop.
• Keep copies of any harassment that goes on in the workplace.
• Report your cyberbully to your human resources (HR) department.
• Report your cyberbully to law enforcement if you are being threatened.
• Close off all personal communication pathways with your cyberbully.
• Maintain a professional attitude at work regardless of what is being said or done.
• Seek out support through friends, family, or professional help.

Effective Action Against Cyberbullying

If cyberbullying continues, actions will have to be taken to get it to stop, such as:

• Talking to a school official : Talking to someone at school may be difficult, but once you do, you may be grateful that you have some support. Schools have policies to address cyberbullying.
• Confide in parents or trusted friends : Discuss your experience with your parents or others you trust. Having support on your side will make you feel less alone.
• Report it on social media : Social media sites have strict rules on the types of interactions and content sharing allowed. Report your aggressor to the site to get them banned and eliminate their ability to contact you.
• Block the bully : Phones, computers, and social media platforms contain options to block correspondence from others. Use these blocking tools to help free yourself from cyberbullying.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial  988  to contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  and connect with a trained counselor. To find mental health resources in your area, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at  800-662-4357  for information.

Cyberbullying occurs over electronic communication methods like cell phones, computers, social media, and other online platforms. While anyone can be subject to cyberbullying, it is most likely to occur between the ages of 12 and 18.

Cyberbullying can be severe and lead to serious health issues, such as new or worsened mental health disorders, sleep issues, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. There are laws to prevent cyberbullying, so it's essential to report it when it happens. Coping strategies include stepping away from electronics, blocking bullies, and getting.

Alhajji M, Bass S, Dai T. Cyberbullying, mental health, and violence in adolescents and associations with sex and race: data from the 2015 youth risk behavior survey . Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19868887. doi:10.1177/2333794X19868887

Cyberbullying Research Center. Cyberbullying in 2021 by age, gender, sexual orientation, and race .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Facts about bullying .

John A, Glendenning AC, Marchant A, et al. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review .  J Med Internet Res . 2018;20(4):e129. doi:10.2196/jmir.9044

Cyberbullying Research Center. Bullying, cyberbullying, and LGBTQ students .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Laws, policies, and regulations .

Wolke D, Lee K, Guy A. Cyberbullying: a storm in a teacup? . Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;26(8):899-908. doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0954-6

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Cyberbullying tactics .

Garett R, Lord LR, Young SD. Associations between social media and cyberbullying: a review of the literature . mHealth . 2016;2:46-46. doi:10.21037/mhealth.2016.12.01

Nemours Teens Health. Cyberbullying .

Nixon CL. Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health . Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2014;5:143-58. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S36456

Nemours Kids Health. Cyberbullying (for parents) .

By Angelica Bottaro Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.

Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Violence / Cyber Bullying

Cyber Bullying Essay Examples

We need to be persuasive about the issue of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is a growing problem in today's society. With the rise of social media and technology, individuals are increasingly using the internet to harass and bully others. Cyberbullying is a serious issue, so I will be really persuasive in this essay as this can have...

Tips to Stop Cyberbullying: Creating a Safer Online Environment

Cyberbullying, the use of digital communication tools to harass, intimidate, or harm others, has become a concerning issue in today's interconnected world. As more individuals rely on online platforms for communication, it's crucial to address and prevent cyberbullying to ensure a safe and respectful online...

Cyber Bullying: Causes and Effects

Cyber bullying, a form of harassment that takes place in the digital realm, has emerged as a concerning issue with far-reaching implications. Enabled by technology, this harmful behavior can lead to severe emotional and psychological consequences for victims. In this essay, we will explore the...

Preventing Cyber Bullying: a Vital Endeavor

In today's digital age, the emergence of cyber bullying has raised significant concerns about the well-being and safety of individuals in the online sphere. As technology continues to shape the way we interact, preventing cyber bullying becomes not only an ethical responsibility but a crucial...

How to Stop Cyber Bullying: Effective Strategies

Cyber bullying, a harmful phenomenon in the digital age, demands proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals online. Addressing and stopping cyber bullying is not only a moral responsibility but also essential for creating a positive and inclusive online environment. In this...

Examining Cyberbullying: Overview of the Issue

Cyberbullying is a recent form of aggression that scholars use to humiliate and assault their fewer famous peers. Like traditional bullying, this conduct is based totally on the imbalance of strength among bullies and victims. Cyberbullying grows itself in posting and sharing abusive comments, photos,...

Confronting Cyber Bullying: a Persuasive Approach

This is a persuasive essay about cyber bullying in which will be an attempt to reveal the topic and urgent issue to understand the harmful effect of bullying via Internet. Cyber bullying can have very destructive emotional and psychological effects on an individual. Cyber bullying...

The Tough Issue of Cyber Bullying: Words that Cut Deeper than Sword

Cyber bullying, itself, is a real issue most youth faces every day, but only few who are brave enough speak about it. According to Edward Bulwer-Lytton, "the pen is mightier than the sword. " Today, the stroke of a pen is extremely similar to the...

Bulling and Cyberbullying: How to Stop It

To start off, what is bullying? It is putting someone in a lower position, to make them feel negative emotions, especially on grounds of race, gender, and sect. Bullying is considered as one of the biggest problems that 21st century has faced. Only in the...

The Effect of Different Ideas and Principles of Cyber Threats on the Protection and Security in the 21st Century

The opportunities provided by the knowledge and technology, with a special stress on the web, became associate integral a part of life. There square measure security problems inside the computer network that represent a security risk and challenge of recent times. The event and application...

Trying to find an excellent essay sample but no results?

Don’t waste your time and get a professional writer to help!

You may also like

• Civil Rights
• Moving to America
• Black Lives Matter
• Women Suffrage Movement
• School Shooting Essays
• Violence in Video Games Essays
• Violence Against Women Essays
• Domestic Violence Essays
• Gay Marriage Essays
• Affirmative Action Essays
• Public Shaming Essays
• Gender Equality Essays
• Freedom of Speech Essays
• Animal Testing Essays

About Cyber Bullying

Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.

Forms of cyberbullying are posting rumors, threats, sexual remarks, a victims' personal information, or pejorative labels,internet trolling, and hate raids.

Cyberbullied victims generally manifest psychological problems such as depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, school phobias and social anxiety

About 37% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online. 23% of students reported that they’ve said or done something mean or cruel to another person online. Girls are more likely than boys to be both victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying. One-fifth of all bullying occurs through social media. Attitudes regarding the pandemic and lockdowns directly contributed to cyberbullying. Most teens have now experienced cyberbullying in some way. The most common specific types of cyberbullying include: Offensive name-calling (31%) Purposeful embarrassment (26%) Physical threats (14%) Stalking (11%) Sexual harassment (11%) Sustained harassment (11%)

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->