essay about cyber bullying with introduction body and conclusion

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.

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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.

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Structuring Your Cyberbullying Essay: Tips and Examples

Cyberbullying has become a serious and pervasive issue in our increasingly connected world. With the power to harm and humiliate individuals from a distance, this modern form of bullying can leave lasting scars. That is why it is so important to know your enemy to avoid possible negative aspects. Here's what you need to know about the complexities of cyberbullying, its various forms, and its impact on individuals and society. With this information, you can easily write your cyber bullying essay.

Understanding Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying uses digital communication tools, such as social media , email, and instant messaging, to purposely harass, threaten, or intimidate another individual. It is a prevalent issue in today's digital age, affecting people of all ages, especially children and teenagers.

Definition and Forms of Cyberbullying

There are different types of cyberbullying, each with its unique characteristics. Some common forms include:

• Flaming involves engaging in heated online arguments, often using vulgar or offensive language, intending to humiliate or upset the target.
• Harassment: The persistent and repeated sending of offensive or hurtful messages to a target, causing emotional distress.
• Cyberstalking: This entails tracking, monitoring, or gathering information about a person without their consent, often coupled with threats or intimidating behavior.
• Denigration involves spreading false or damaging information about a person online, tarnishing their reputation or relationships.
• Exclusion: Deliberately isolating someone from an online group or discussion, making them feel left out or ostracized.
• Outing: Publicly sharing private or sensitive information about someone without their consent, often with malicious intent.
• Impersonation: Assuming someone's identity online to post or send messages that cause harm or damage their reputation.
• Trickery: Tricking someone into revealing private or sensitive information and then sharing it publicly or using it against them.

Understanding these various forms and recognizing their impact on individuals is essential to create a comprehensive cyber bullying essay. By acknowledging the severity of the problem, humanity can work towards prevention and support for those affected.

Impact of Cyberbullying on Victims

The effects of cyberbullying on victims can be significant and long-lasting. Emotional consequences may include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. Victims may also experience physical symptoms such as sleep disturbances, headaches, and stomachaches. Moreover, cyberbullying can impact academic performance, social relationships, and overall quality of life.

Laws and Policies Related to Cyberbullying

In the United States, laws and policies addressing cyberbullying vary by state. While no federal law specifically targets cyberbullying, some states have enacted legislation to combat the issue. These laws often require schools to develop and implement policies that address cyberbullying. Additionally, some forms of cyberbullying may fall under existing laws related to harassment, stalking, or defamation.

Structuring Your Cyberbullying Essay

When crafting a cyberbullying essay, you should follow a clear structure that effectively communicates your ideas and arguments is essential. A well-organized essay ensures a logical flow and enables your reader to understand the issue better. So let's explore tips and examples to help you create a compelling and insightful essay on cyberbullying.

Choose a Specific Aspect of Cyberbullying to Focus On

When writing your essay , consider focusing on a particular form of cyberbullying or a specific aspect of the issue, such as its impact on mental health, legal responses, or prevention strategies. This fact will help narrow your topic and provide a more in-depth analysis.

Develop a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should convey your position on the topic and set the stage for the rest of your essay. Be concise and ensure your statement is arguable, so you can effectively support it with evidence throughout your essay.

Create an Outline for Your Essay

Organize your thoughts and ideas by creating an outline to structure your cyberbullying essay. It will help you maintain a logical flow and cover all relevant points. An outline typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Use a Clear and Concise Writing Style

To effectively communicate your ideas, write clearly and concisely. This aspect will help your reader follow your argument and understand your perspective. Avoid jargon and complex language, and ensure your essay is well-organized and easy to read. Check these samples to understand your writing goals.

• Cyber-Bullying: A Growing Threat in the Digital Age
• Cyber-Bullying Among College Students
• How Social Media Can Lead to Addiction, Cyberbullying and Low Self-Esteem
• Cyberbullying Prevention
• A Situation Online Where I Witnessed Online Trolling and Flaming
• Sexting and Cyberbullying for Children Victims
• Community Perceptions of the Relationships Between Cyber Bullying and Youth Suicide
• Cyber Bullying as Ethical Issue
• The Lasting Effects of Cyber Bullying
• Cause and Effect of Cyber Bullying

Writing Your Essay

Introduction.

Begin your essay with a captivating hook to draw in your reader. Provide background information to set the context of the issue and introduce your thesis statement, clearly outlining your stance on the topic .

Body Paragraphs

Develop body paragraphs that present your supporting arguments , backed by evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should focus on one main point and include relevant research, statistics, or examples to strengthen your argument.

Counter Arguments

Consider potential counterarguments and address them in your essay. Presenting opposing viewpoints and effectively refuting them demonstrates your understanding of the issue and adds credibility to your argument.

Conclude your essay by restating your thesis and summarizing the key points you've made. Offer final thoughts on the issue and, if appropriate, suggest potential solutions or directions for future research.

Examples of Cyberbullying Essay Structures

Chronological structure.

Begin your essay with a captivating hook to draw in your reader. Provide background information to set the context of the issue and introduce your thesis statement, clearly outlining your stance on the topic. Following a well-structured cyber bullying essay outline can help ensure your arguments are organized and persuasive.

Cause and Effect Structure

Arrange your essay to show the causes and effects of cyberbullying. This structure helps to highlight the reasons behind cyberbullying behaviors and the consequences it has on victims, perpetrators, and society as a whole.

Compare and Contrast Structure

Present your arguments by comparing and contrasting different aspects of cyberbullying. This structure may explore similarities and differences between traditional bullying and cyberbullying or examine how cyberbullying affects various age groups, social groups, or countries.

Problem-Solution Structure

Organize your essay by presenting the cyberbullying problem and then offering potential solutions. This structure is effective when discussing prevention strategies, policy interventions, or educational initiatives that can help address the issue of cyberbullying.

Tips for Writing an Effective Cyberbullying Essay

To craft a compelling cyber bullying essay, consider these essential tips for a well-rounded and persuasive argument.

Use Credible Sources

When researching for writing an essay on cyberbullying, it's crucial to rely on credible sources to strengthen your argument . Seek reputable resources, such as peer-reviewed articles, government publications, and respected organizations, to provide accurate and up-to-date information. Avoid using personal anecdotes or opinions as evidence, as they may not represent the broader issue. By incorporating reliable sources, you demonstrate your commitment to accuracy and enhance the credibility of your essay.

Avoid Using Derogatory Language

When discussing cyberbullying, it's important to avoid using derogatory language, even when describing the actions of the bullies. Using offensive language can inadvertently perpetuate harmful stereotypes and undermine the seriousness of the issue. Instead, choose words that accurately depict the actions and consequences of cyberbullying without resorting to offensive or inflammatory language. Maintaining a respectful tone throughout your essay demonstrates your sensitivity to the issue and helps maintain your credibility as a writer.

Provide Specific Examples

When writing a cyber bully essay, make it more engaging and relatable by providing specific examples of cyberbullying incidents. These examples can be real-life cases or hypothetical scenarios that illustrate the various forms of cyberbullying and their impact on victims. By incorporating examples, you can help your reader better understand the issue and empathize with those affected. Be sure to maintain the privacy and dignity of those involved in real-life cases by anonymizing their identities and avoiding graphic details that may be unnecessarily distressing.

Address the Root Causes of Cyberbullying

It's essential to address the root causes of cyberbullying to write a comprehensive and well-informed essay . These may include factors such as power imbalances, anonymity, social norms, and a lack of empathy or understanding of the consequences of one's actions. By examining the underlying causes, you can provide a more nuanced understanding of the issue and offer potential solutions or prevention strategies. This approach demonstrates your thorough grasp of the topic and effectively contributes to a more meaningful discussion on combatting cyberbullying.

Use a Respectful and Empathetic Tone

Issuing a respectful and empathetic tone is crucial when writing an effective cyberbullying essay. Acknowledge the emotions and experiences of those affected by cyberbullying, including the victims, their families, and even the perpetrators. Recognize that the issue is complex, and people's experiences may differ. Avoid passing judgment or making assumptions about the individuals involved. By maintaining a compassionate and empathetic tone, you demonstrate your understanding of the issue's gravity and show your readers that you care about the well-being of those impacted by cyberbullying.

As you can see, writing an effective cyber bullying essay requires a combination of thorough research, credible sources, a respectful and empathetic tone, and a focus on the issue's root causes. By incorporating these elements and following the suggested essay structures , you can create a compelling and informative essay that sheds light on this critical issue. Ultimately, your essay can raise awareness, promote empathy, and inspire change to address and prevent cyberbullying in our increasingly connected world.

Cyber Bullying Essay Writing Guide — Means to Stop Cyberbullying

Did you know that one in three teenagers faces cyber threats on social networking sites? How about another interesting fact: many teens (more than 25%) have been bullied via their devices. Are these signs alarming? Should parents limit the children's access to mobile phones and computers or restrict their freedom for the sake of prevention from online attacks? Those are all great ideas for a cyber bullying essay. But what are the other features and requirements of this assignment? In our guide, we will go through the basics of a bullying essay and discuss different aspects of this matter. Also, you'll get some relevant tips that will be helpful if your homework is focused on cyberbullying issues.

If you cannot decide on the topic for your assignment or aren't confident about your writing skills — this article is for you.

What is a Cyberbullying Essay?

Without defining the purpose of an academic paper, it's hard to deal with it appropriately. An essay writing about cyberbullying aims to cover the issue of digital bullying by revealing different aspects of this subject and offering relevant examples. Here, you can define this phenomenon, express your attitude toward it, or propose effective solutions to prevent bullying in any manifestation. The main objective of your writing will always depend on the type of essay assigned:

• Descriptive
• Argumentative
• Cause-effect
• Compare-contrast

There is a whole range of factors that can influence your choice:

• The aspect of cyber bullying you want to study.
• A class for which you prepare an assignment.
• The main statement you want to challenge or prove, etc.

In the next section, we'll try to help you with this decision.

Which Genre to Pick for a Writing on Cyberbullying?

The type of essay you pick greatly changes the strategy of your writing. If you select a definition one, you have to identify/explain the term using both official sources, dictionaries, and your best guesses. Don't forget to support your interpretations with real-life examples and personal experience if you have something to say.

• In a descriptive paper, focus on the cyberbullying specifics or people who tend to become cyber bullies.
• In a reflective paper, express your own attitude toward the issue or analyze the consequences of bullying you or your friend have faced.
• In a narrative assignment, tell a story related to the problem. For example, you're an adult, and you want to save your child from the hooligan on the Internet.
• In argumentative writing, you can state that colleges and universities should strengthen campus security and protect students' personal information better. Then, you'll need to prove your idea is valid.
• If you work on the cause-and-effect cyber bullying essay paper, a good choice will be to focus on social media bullying and its influence on young people. So, hope you got the essence.

Also, to understand what to write about and how to meet the writing objectives, you may look for a sample essay on a topic similar to the one you picked. Or, if the cyberbullying is a too complicated subject matter for you, you can turn to our custom writing and editing services. If you need an expert to "do my homework for me," we will be glad to provide you with academic assistance anytime.

If you're going to write this essay yourself, the next aspect you have to consider is the structure.

Outline for a Cyberbullying Essay

The outline for your (for example) social media cyber bullying essay will be similar to the structure of any other writing assignment. You can either make it a 5-paragraph essay or add more sections depending on how many points you are going to discuss. For instance, a compare and contrast paper could be longer than a reflective assignment describing just one experience. Nevertheless, you cannot go wrong with a general essay outline:

• Title page (if needed).
• Introduction (hook sentence + topic presentation + thesis statement).
• Body section(3 or more paragraphs).
• Conclusion (paraphrased thesis + summary of the topic sentences + final statement).
• References/Works Cited (depends on the chosen format: MLA citation, APA citation, etc.).

Let's look at each section in detail.

Introduction to a Cyberbullying Essay

In a cyber bullying essay introduction, the primary goal is to capture the reader's attention from the first line. Thus, we recommend starting with something interesting. One of these hooks related to the topic of cyberbullying should work:

• Fact/Statistics
• Rhetorical question

Once you're done with the hook, explain why the question you plan to discuss is relevant today. End with the powerful thesis statement like: " Taking into account more than 50% of adolescents never tell their parents about being attacked by a cyber bully, schools and colleges should hire qualified experts with whom students will be ready to share intimate details of such situations. "

Body Paragraphs of a Cyberbullying Essay

Start the first body paragraph using a transition word to show its connection with the introduction. Transitions words are "first of all," "to begin with," "thus," "unlike," "in contrast," etc. They all have different purposes, so make sure to choose the best one from the corresponding category (addition, opposition, etc.)

Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence expressing the major idea of that particular section. Do not forget to add in-text citations and examples to make the reader understand the topic in-depth. Reference the sources correctly on the last page, in your bibliography.

To back your ideas with reliable facts, you have to conduct thoughtful research. Where to look for info that can come in handy? Look thought bullying articles on the Internet, use data from cyber bullying infographic and statistics — even a blog entry with its comment section can turn out to be useful.

The Conclusion to a Cyberbullying Essay

A cyberbullying essay conclusion should persuade the audience about the importance of the issues related to cyberbullying. Or, you have to make the readers think of this matter and its consequences. You may stress why specific preventive measures should be taken, or conclude that restricting access to mobile devices will not resolve the problem. It's up to you and your research results. In the last part of your writing, we recommend including a hook like a rhetorical question to leave a long-lasting impression and keep the reader interested in the topic raised.

10 Thrilling Cyberbullying Essay Topics

The professor may not specify what exactly you should cover in your essay about cyberbullying. That's why we have a list of the best ideas for you:

• The ways mean messages can hurt.
• Reasons to be involved in cyberbullying.
• How a child can become a victim of cyberbullying.
• How to protect yourself from online threats.
• Preventive measures to avoid cyberbullying.
• Differences and similarities between traditional bullying and cyberbullying.
• A hidden name as a way to protect oneself from bullying on the Internet.
• Sexting and its impact on the mind of an average high school student.
• The role of cell phones in the problem of cyberbullying.
• Consequences of cyberbullying and actions to be taken.

There is nothing much to say about a title that you should formulate. If you need one, it has to be a shortened version of the full topic. For instance, is the topic refers to stalling someone's account information to break into their personal life and sending harmful messages, you can make it shorter by narrowing down to "Reasons to Steal One's Account." Make sure your title is no longer than 60-70 characters long, especially when submitting a paper online.

If you struggle to write a good cyberbullying paper but have no ideas on how to hit a good grade, try using our online writing services. We can provide you with an academic assignment 24/7!

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Cyberbullying Among Adolescents and Children: A Comprehensive Review of the Global Situation, Risk Factors, and Preventive Measures

Chengyan zhu.

1 School of Political Science and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Shiqing Huang

2 School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Richard Evans

3 College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom

Associated Data

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/ Supplementary Material , further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s.

Background: Cyberbullying is well-recognized as a severe public health issue which affects both adolescents and children. Most extant studies have focused on national and regional effects of cyberbullying, with few examining the global perspective of cyberbullying. This systematic review comprehensively examines the global situation, risk factors, and preventive measures taken worldwide to fight cyberbullying among adolescents and children.

Methods: A systematic review of available literature was completed following PRISMA guidelines using the search themes “cyberbullying” and “adolescent or children”; the time frame was from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2019. Eight academic databases pertaining to public health, and communication and psychology were consulted, namely: Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Communication & Mass Media Complete, CINAHL, and PsycArticles. Additional records identified through other sources included the references of reviews and two websites, Cyberbullying Research Center and United Nations Children's Fund. A total of 63 studies out of 2070 were included in our final review focusing on cyberbullying prevalence and risk factors.

Results: The prevalence rates of cyberbullying preparation ranged from 6.0 to 46.3%, while the rates of cyberbullying victimization ranged from 13.99 to 57.5%, based on 63 references. Verbal violence was the most common type of cyberbullying. Fourteen risk factors and three protective factors were revealed in this study. At the personal level, variables associated with cyberbullying including age, gender, online behavior, race, health condition, past experience of victimization, and impulsiveness were reviewed as risk factors. Likewise, at the situational level, parent-child relationship, interpersonal relationships, and geographical location were also reviewed in relation to cyberbullying. As for protective factors, empathy and emotional intelligence, parent-child relationship, and school climate were frequently mentioned.

Conclusion: The prevalence rate of cyberbullying has increased significantly in the observed 5-year period, and it is imperative that researchers from low and middle income countries focus sufficient attention on cyberbullying of children and adolescents. Despite a lack of scientific intervention research on cyberbullying, the review also identified several promising strategies for its prevention from the perspectives of youths, parents and schools. More research on cyberbullying is needed, especially on the issue of cross-national cyberbullying. International cooperation, multi-pronged and systematic approaches are highly encouraged to deal with cyberbullying.

Introduction

Childhood and adolescence are not only periods of growth, but also of emerging risk taking. Young people during these periods are particularly vulnerable and cannot fully understand the connection between behaviors and consequences ( 1 ). With peer pressures, the heat of passion, children and adolescents usually perform worse than adults when people are required to maintain self-discipline to achieve good results in unfamiliar situations. Impulsiveness, sensation seeking, thrill seeking, and other individual differences cause adolescents to risk rejecting standardized risk interventions ( 2 ).

About one-third of Internet users in the world are children and adolescents under the age of 18 ( 3 ). Digital technology provide a new form of interpersonal communication ( 4 ). However, surveys and news reports also show another picture in the Internet Age. The dark side of young people's internet usage is that they may bully or suffer from others' bullying in cyberspace. This behavior is also acknowledged as cyberbullying ( 5 ). Based on Olweus's definition, cyberbullying is usually regarded as bullying implemented through electronic media ( 6 , 7 ). Specifically, cyberbullying among children and adolescents can be summarized as the intentional and repeated harm from one or more peers that occurs in cyberspace caused by the use of computers, smartphones and other devices ( 4 , 8 – 12 ). In recent years, new forms of cyberbullying behaviors have emerged, such as cyberstalking and online dating abuse ( 13 – 15 ).

Although cyberbullying is still a relatively new field of research, cyberbullying among adolescents is considered to be a serious public health issue that is closely related to adolescents' behavior, mental health and development ( 16 , 17 ). The increasing rate of Internet adoption worldwide and the popularity of social media platforms among the young people have worsened this situation with most children and adolescents experiencing cyberbullying or online victimization during their lives. The confines of space and time are alleviated for bullies in virtual environments, creating new venues for cyberbullying with no geographical boundaries ( 6 ). Cyberbullying exerts negative effects on many aspects of young people's lives, including personal privacy invasion and psychological disorders. The influence of cyberbullying may be worse than traditional bullying as perpetrators can act anonymously and connect easily with children and adolescents at any time ( 18 ). In comparison with traditional victims, those bullied online show greater levels of depression, anxiety and loneliness ( 19 ). Self-esteem problems and school absenteeism have also proven to be related to cyberbullying ( 20 ).

Due to changes in use and behavioral patterns among the youth on social media, the manifestations and risk factors of cyberbullying have faced significant transformation. Further, as the boundaries of cyberbullying are not limited by geography, cyberbullying may not be a problem contained within a single country. In this sense, cyberbullying is a global problem and tackling it requires greater international collaboration. The adverse effects caused by cyberbullying, including reduced safety, lower educational attainment, poorer mental health and greater unhappiness, led UNICEF to state that “no child is absolutely safe in the digital world” ( 3 ).

Extant research has examined the prevalence and risk factors of cyberbullying to unravel the complexity of cyberbullying across different countries and their corresponding causes. However, due to variations in cyberbullying measurement and methodologies, no consistent conclusions have been drawn ( 21 ). Studies into inconsistencies in prevalence rates of cyberbullying, measured in the same country during the same time period, occur frequently. Selkie et al. systematically reviewed cyberbullying among American middle and high school students aged 10–19 years old in 2015, and revealed that the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization ranged from 3 to 72%, while perpetration ranged from 1 to 41% ( 22 ). Risk and protective factors have also been broadly studied, but confirmation is still needed of those factors which have more significant effects on cyberbullying among young people. Clarification of these issues would be useful to allow further research to recognize cyberbullying more accurately.

This review aims to extend prior contributions and provide a comprehensive review of cyberbullying of children and adolescents from a global perspective, with the focus being on prevalence, associated risk factors and protective factors across countries. It is necessary to provide a global panorama based on research syntheses to fill the gaps in knowledge on this topic.

Search Strategies

This study strictly employed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We consulted eight academic databases pertaining to public health, and communication and psychology, namely: Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Communication & Mass Media Complete, CINAHL, and PsycArticles. Additional records identified through other sources included the references of reviews and two websites, Cyberbullying Research Center and United Nations Children's Fund. With regard to the duration of our review, since most studies on cyberbullying arose around 2015 ( 9 , 21 ), this study highlights the complementary aspects of the available information about cyberbullying during the recent 5 year period from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2019.

One researcher extracted keywords and two researchers proposed modifications. We used two sets of subject terms to review articles, “cyberbullying” and “child OR adolescent.” Some keywords that refer to cyberbullying behaviors and young people are also included, such as threat, harass, intimidate, abuse, insult, humiliate, condemn, isolate, embarrass, forgery, slander, flame, stalk, manhunt, as well as teen, youth, young people and student. The search formula is (cyberbullying OR cyber-bullying OR cyber-aggression OR ((cyber OR online OR electronic OR Internet) AND (bully * OR aggres * OR violence OR perpetrat * OR victim * OR threat * OR harass * OR intimidat * OR * OR insult * OR humiliate * OR condemn * OR isolate * OR embarrass * OR forgery OR slander * OR flame OR stalk * OR manhunt))) AND (adolescen * OR child OR children OR teen? OR teenager? OR youth? OR “young people” OR “elementary school student * ” OR “middle school student * ” OR “high school student * ”). The main search approach is title search. Search strategies varied according to the database consulted, and we did not limit the type of literature for inclusion. Journals, conference papers and dissertations are all available.

Specifically, the inclusion criteria for our study were as follows: (a). reported or evaluated the prevalence and possible risk factors associated with cyberbullying, (b). respondents were students under the age of 18 or in primary, junior or senior high schools, and (c). studies were written in English. Exclusion criteria were: (a). respondents came from specific groups, such as clinical samples, children with disabilities, sexual minorities, specific ethnic groups, specific faith groups or samples with cross-national background, (b). review studies, qualitative studies, conceptual studies, book reviews, news reports or abstracts of meetings, and (c). studies focused solely on preventive measures that were usually meta-analytic and qualitative in nature. Figure 1 presents the details of the employed screening process, showing that a total of 63 studies out of 2070 were included in our final review.

PRISMA flow chart diagram showing the process of study selection for inclusion in the systematic review on children and adolescents cyberbullying.

Meta-analysis was not conducted as the limited research published within the 5 years revealed little research which reported odds ratio. On the other hand, due to the inconsistency of concepts, measuring instruments and recall periods, considerable variation could be found in research quality ( 23 ). Meta-analysis is not a preferred method.

Coding Scheme

For coding, we created a comprehensive code scheme to include the characteristics. For cyberbullying, we coded five types proposed by Willard ( 24 – 26 ), which included verbal violence, group violence, visual violence, impersonating and account forgery, and other behaviors. Among them, verbal violence is considered one of the most common types of cyberbullying and refers to the behavior of offensive responses, insults, mocking, threats, slander, and harassment. Group violence is associated with preventing others from joining certain groups or isolating others, forcing others to leave the group. Visual violence relates to the release and sharing of embarrassing photos and information without the owners' consent. Impersonating and account forgery refers to identity theft, stealing passwords, violating accounts and the creation of fake accounts to fraudulently present the behavior of others. Other behaviors include disclosure of privacy, sexual harassment, and cyberstalking. To comprehensively examine cyberbullying, we coded cyberbullying behaviors from both the perspectives of cyberbullying perpetrators and victims, if mentioned in the studies.

In relation to risk factors, we drew insights from the general aggression model, which contributes to the understanding of personal and situational factors in the cyberbullying of children and adolescents. We chose the general aggression model because (a) it contains more situational factors than other models (e.g., social ecological models) - such as school climate ( 9 ), and (b) we believe that the general aggression model is more suitable for helping researchers conduct a systematic review of cyberbullying risk and protective factors. This model provides a comprehensive framework that integrates domain specific theories of aggression, and has been widely applied in cyberbullying research ( 27 ). For instance, Kowalski and colleagues proposed a cyberbullying encounter through the general aggression model to understand the formation and development process of youth cyberbullying related to both victimization and perpetration ( 9 ). Victims and perpetrators enter the cyberbullying encounter with various individual characteristics, experiences, attitudes, desires, personalities, and motives that intersect to determine the course of the interaction. Correspondingly, the antecedents pertaining to cyberbullying are divided into two broad categories, personal factors and situational factors. Personal factors refer to individual characteristics, such as gender, age, motivation, personality, psychological states, socioeconomic status and technology use, values and perceptions, and other maladaptive behaviors. Situational factors focus on the provocation/support, parental involvement, school climate, and perceived anonymity. Consequently, our coders related to risk factors consisting of personal factors and situational factors from the perspectives of both cyberbullying perpetrators and victims.

We extracted information relating to individual papers and sample characteristics, including authors, year of publication, country, article type, sampling procedures, sample characteristics, measures of cyberbullying, and prevalence and risk factors from both cyberbullying perpetration and victimization perspectives. The key words extraction and coding work were performed twice by two trained research assistants in health informatics. The consistency test results are as follows: the Kappa value with “personal factors” was 0.932, and the Kappa value with “situational factors” was 0.807. The result shows that the coding consistency was high enough and acceptable. Disagreements were resolved through discussion with other authors.

Quality Assessment of Studies

The quality assessment of the studies is based on the recommended tool for assessing risk of bias, Cochrane Collaboration. This quality assessment tool focused on seven items: random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and personnel, blinding of outcome assessment, incomplete outcome data, selective reporting, and other sources of bias ( 28 ). We assessed each item as “low risk,” “high risk,” and “unclear” for included studies. A study is considered of “high quality” when it meets three or more “low risk” requirements. When one or more main flaw of a study may affect the research results, the study is considered as “low quality.” When a lack of information leads to a difficult judgement, the quality is considered to be “unclear.” Please refer to Appendix 1 for more details.

This comprehensive systematic review comprised a total of 63 studies. Appendices 2 , 3 show the descriptive information of the studies included. Among them, 58 (92%) studies measured two or more cyberbullying behavior types. The sample sizes of the youths range from several hundred to tens of thousands, with one thousand to five thousand being the most common. As for study distribution, the United States of America, Spain and China were most frequently mentioned. Table 1 presents the detail.

Descriptive information of studies included (2015–2019).

Prevalence of Global Cyberbullying

Prevalence across countries.

Among the 63 studies included, 22 studies reported on cyberbullying prevalence and 20 studies reported on prevalence from victimization and perpetration perspectives, respectively. Among the 20 studies, 11 national studies indicated that the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration ranged from 14.6 to 52.2% and 6.3 to 32%, respectively. These studies were conducted in the United States of America ( N = 4) ( 29 – 32 ), South Korea ( N = 3) ( 33 – 35 ), Singapore ( N = 1) ( 36 ), Malaysia ( N = 1) ( 37 ), Israel ( N = 1) ( 38 ), and Canada ( N = 1) ( 39 ). Only one of these 11 national studies is from an upper middle income country, and the rest are from highincome countries identified by the World Bank ( 40 ). By combining regional and community-level studies, the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration ranged from 13.99 to 57.5% and 6.0 to 46.3%, respectively. Spain reported the highest prevalence of cyberbullying victimization (57.5%) ( 41 ), followed by Malaysia (52.2%) ( 37 ), Israel (45%) ( 42 ), and China (44.5%) ( 43 ). The lowest reported victim rates were observed in Canada (13.99%) and South Korea (14.6%) ( 34 , 39 ). The reported prevalence of cyberbullying victimization in the United States of America ranged from 15.5 to 31.4% ( 29 , 44 ), while in Israel, rates ranged from 30 to 45% ( 26 , 42 ). In China, rates ranged from 6 to 46.3% with the country showing the highest prevalence of cyberbullying perpetration (46.30%) ( 15 , 43 , 45 , 46 ). Canadian and South Korean studies reported the lowest prevalence of cyberbullying perpetration at 7.99 and 6.3%, respectively ( 34 , 39 ).

A total of 10 studies were assessed as high quality studies. Among them, six studies came from high income countries, including Canada, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and South Korea ( 13 , 34 , 39 , 46 – 48 ). Three studies were from upper middle income countries, including Malaysia and China ( 37 , 43 ) and one from a lower middle income country, Nigeria ( 49 ). Figures 2 , ​ ,3 3 describe the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration respectively among high quality studies.

The prevalence of cyberbullying victimization of high quality studies.

The prevalence of cyberbullying perpetration of high quality studies.

Prevalence of Various Cyberbullying Behaviors

For the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, the data were reported in 18 and 14 studies, respectively. Figure 4 shows the distribution characteristics of the estimated value of prevalence of different cyberbullying behaviors with box plots. The longer the box, the greater the degree of variation of the numerical data and vice versa. The rate of victimization and crime of verbal violence, as well as the rate of victimization of other behaviors, such as cyberstalking and digital dating abuse, has a large degree of variation. Among the four specified types of cyberbullying behaviors, verbal violence was regarded as the most commonly reported behaviors in both perpetration and victimization rates, with a wide range of prevalence, ranging from 5 to 18%. Fewer studies reported the prevalence data for visual violence and group violence. Studies also showed that the prevalence of impersonation and account forgery were within a comparatively small scale. Specific results were as follows.

Cyberbullying prevalence across types (2015–2019).

Verbal Violence

A total of 13 studies reported verbal violence prevalence data ( 15 , 26 , 34 , 37 – 39 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 51 ). Ten studies reported the prevalence of verbal violence victimization ranging from 2.8 to 47.5%, while seven studies claimed perpetration prevalence ranging from 1.5 to 31.8%. Malaysia reported the highest prevalence of verbal violence victimization (47.5%) ( 37 ), followed by China (32%) ( 43 ). China reported that the prevalence of verbal violence victimization ranged from 5.1 to 32% ( 15 , 43 ). Israel reported that the prevalence of verbal violence victimization ranged from 3.4 to 18% ( 26 , 38 , 42 ). For perpetration rate, Malaysia reported the highest level at 31.8% ( 37 ), while a study for Spain reported the lowest, ranging from 3.2 to 6.4% ( 51 ).

Group Violence

The prevalence of group violence victimization was explored within 4 studies and ranged from 5 to 17.8% ( 26 , 34 , 42 , 43 ), while perpetration prevalence was reported in three studies, ranging from 10.1 to 19.07% ( 34 , 43 , 47 ). An Israeli study suggested that 9.8% of respondents had been excluded from the Internet, while 8.9% had been refused entry to a group or team ( 26 ). A study in South Korea argued that the perpetration prevalence of group violence was 10.1% ( 34 ), while a study in Italy reported that the rate of online group violence against others was 19.07% ( 47 ).

Visual Violence

The prevalence of visual violence victimization was explored within three studies and ranged from 2.6 to 12.1% ( 26 , 34 , 43 ), while the perpetration prevalence reported in four studies ranged from 1.7 to 6% ( 34 , 43 , 47 , 48 ). For victimization prevalence, a South Korean study found that 12.1% of respondents reported that their personal information was leaked online ( 34 ). An Israel study reported that the prevalence of outing the picture was 2.6% ( 26 ). For perpetration prevalence, a South Korean study found that 1.7% of respondents had reported that they had disclosed someone's personal information online ( 34 ). A German study reported that 6% of respondents had written a message (e.g., an email) to somebody using a fake identity ( 48 ).

Impersonating and Account Forgery

Four studies reported on the victimization prevalence of impersonating and account forgery, ranging from 1.1 to 10% ( 15 , 42 , 43 ), while five studies reported on perpetration prevalence, with the range being from 1.3 to 9.31% ( 15 , 43 , 47 , 48 , 51 ). In a Spanish study, 10% of respondents reported that their accounts had been infringed by others or that they could not access their account due to stolen passwords. In contrast, 4.5% of respondents reported that they had infringed other people's accounts or stolen passwords, with 2.5% stating that they had forged other people's accounts ( 51 ). An Israeli study reported that the prevalence of being impersonated was 7% ( 42 ), while in China, a study reported this to be 8.6% ( 43 ). Another study from China found that 1.1% of respondents had been impersonated to send dating-for-money messages ( 15 ).

Other Behaviors

The prevalence of disclosure of privacy, sexual harassment, and cyberstalking were also explored by scholars. Six studies reported the victimization prevalence of other cyberbullying behaviors ( 13 , 15 , 34 , 37 , 42 , 43 ), and four studies reported on perpetration prevalence ( 34 , 37 , 43 , 48 ). A study in China found that 1.2% of respondents reported that their privacy had been compromised without permission due to disputes ( 15 ). A study from China reported the prevalence of cyberstalking victimization was 11.9% ( 43 ), while a Portuguese study reported that this was 62% ( 13 ). In terms of perpetration prevalence, a Malaysian study reported 2.7% for sexual harassment ( 37 ).

Risk and Protective Factors of Cyberbullying

In terms of the risk factors associated with cyberbullying among children and adolescents, this comprehensive review highlighted both personal and situational factors. Personal factors referred to age, gender, online behavior, race, health conditions, past experiences of victimization, and impulsiveness, while situational factors consisted of parent-child relationship, interpersonal relationships, and geographical location. In addition, protective factors against cyberbullying included: empathy and emotional intelligence, parent-child relationship, and school climate. Table 2 shows the risk and protective factors for child and adolescent cyberbullying.

Risk and protective factors of cyberbullying among children and adolescents.

In terms of the risk factors associated with cyberbullying victimization at the personal level, many studies evidenced that females were more likely to be cyberbullied than males ( 13 , 26 , 29 , 38 , 43 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 58 ). Meanwhile, adolescents with mental health problems ( 61 ), such as depression ( 33 , 62 ), borderline personality disorder ( 63 ), eating disorders ( 41 ), sleep deprivation ( 56 ), and suicidal thoughts and suicide plans ( 64 ), were more likely to be associated with cyberbullying victimization. As for Internet usage, researchers agreed that youth victims were probably those that spent more time online than their counterparts ( 32 , 36 , 43 , 45 , 48 , 49 , 60 ). For situational risk factors, some studies have proven the relationship between cyberbullying victims and parental abuse, parental neglect, family dysfunction, inadequate monitoring, and parents' inconsistency in mediation, as well as communication issues ( 33 , 64 , 68 , 73 ). In terms of geographical location, some studies have reported that youths residing in city locations are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying than their peers from suburban areas ( 61 ).

Regarding the risk factors of cyberbullying perpetration at the personal level, it is generally believed that older teenagers, especially those aged over 15 years, are at greater risk of becoming cyberbullying perpetrators ( 55 , 67 ). When considering prior cyberbullying experiences, evidence showed that individuals who had experienced cyberbullying or face-to-face bullying tended to be aggressors in cyberbullying ( 35 , 42 , 49 , 51 , 55 ); in addition, the relationship between impulsiveness and cyberbullying perpetration was also explored by several pioneering scholars ( 55 , 72 , 80 ). The situational factors highlight the role of parents and teachers in cyberbullying experiences. For example, over-control and authoritarian parenting styles, as well as inharmonious teacher-student relationships ( 61 ) are perceived to lead to cyberbullying behaviors ( 74 , 75 ). In terms of differences in geographical locations, students residing in cities have a higher rate of online harassment than students living in more rural locations ( 49 ).

In terms of the protective factors in child and adolescent cyberbullying, scholars have focused on youths who have limited experiences of cyberbullying. At the personal level, high emotional intelligence, an ability for emotional self-control and empathy, such as cognitive empathy ability ( 44 , 55 ), were associated with lower rates of cyberbullying ( 57 ). At the situational level, a parent's role is seen as critical. For example, intimate parent-child relationships ( 46 ) and open active communication ( 19 ) were demonstrated to be related to lower experiences of cyberbullying and perpetration. Some scholars argued that parental supervision and monitoring of children's online activities can reduce their tendency to participate in some negative activities associated with cyberbullying ( 31 , 46 , 73 ). They further claimed that an authoritative parental style protects youths against cyberbullying ( 43 ). Conversely, another string of studies evidenced that parents' supervision of Internet usage was meaningless ( 45 ). In addition to conflicting roles of parental supervision, researchers have also looked into the role of schools, and posited that positive school climates contribute to less cyberbullying experiences ( 61 , 79 ).

Some risk factors may be protective factors under another condition. Some studies suggest that parental aggressive communication is related to severe cyberbullying victims, while open communication is a potential protective factor ( 19 ). Parental neglect, parental abuse, parental inconsistency in supervision of adolescents' online behavior, and family dysfunction are related to the direct or indirect harm of cyberbullying ( 33 , 68 ). Parental participation, a good parental-children relationship, communication and dialogue can enhance children's school adaptability and prevent cyberbullying behaviors ( 31 , 74 ). When parental monitoring reaches a balance between control and openness, it could become a protective factor against cyberbullying, and it could be a risk factor, if parental monitoring is too low or over-controlled ( 47 ).

Despite frequent discussion about the risk factors associated with cyberbullying among children and adolescents, some are still deemed controversial factors, such as age, race, gender, and the frequency of suffering on the internet. For cyberbullying victims, some studies claim that older teenagers are more vulnerable to cyberbullying ( 15 , 38 , 52 , 53 ), while other studies found conflicting results ( 26 , 33 ). As for student race, Alhajji et al. argued that non-white students were less likely to report cyberbullying ( 29 ), while Morin et al. observed no significant correlation between race and cyberbullying ( 52 ). For cyberbullying perpetration, Alvarez-Garcia found that gender differences may have indirect effects on cyberbullying perpetration ( 55 ), while others disagreed ( 42 , 61 , 68 – 70 ). Specifically, some studies revealed that males were more likely to become cyberbullying perpetrators ( 34 , 39 , 56 ), while Khurana et al. presented an opposite point of view, proposing that females were more likely to attack others ( 71 ). In terms of time spent on the Internet, some claimed that students who frequently surf the Internet had a higher chance of becoming perpetrators ( 49 ), while others stated that there was no clear and direct association between Internet usage and cyberbullying perpetration ( 55 ).

In addition to personal and situational factors, scholars have also explored other specific factors pertaining to cyberbullying risk and protection. For instance, mindfulness and depression were found to be significantly related to cyber perpetration ( 76 ), while eating disorder psychopathology in adolescents was associated with cyber victimization ( 41 ). For males who were familiar with their victims, such as family members, friends and acquaintances, they were more likely to be cyberstalking perpetrators than females or strangers, while pursuing desired closer relationships ( 13 ). In the school context, a lower social likability in class was identified as an indirect factor for cyberbullying ( 48 ).

This comprehensive review has established that the prevalence of global childhood and adolescent victimization from cyberbullying ranges from 13.99 to 57.5%, and that the perpetration prevalence ranges from 6.0 to 46.3%. Across the studies included in our research, verbal violence is observed as one of the most common acts of cyberbullying, including verbal offensive responses, insults, mocking, threats, slander, and harassment. The victimization prevalence of verbal violence is reported to be between 5 and 47.5%, and the perpetration prevalence is between 3.2 and 26.1%. Personal factors, such as gender, frequent use of social media platforms, depression, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, sleep deprivation, and suicidal tendencies, were generally considered to be related to becoming a cyberbullying victim. Personal factors, such as high school students, past experiences, impulse, improperly controlled family education, poor teacher-student relationships, and the urban environment, were considered risk factors for cyberbullying perpetration. Situational factors, including parental abuse and neglect, improper monitoring, communication barriers between parents and children, as well as the urban environment, were also seen to potentially contribute to higher risks of both cyberbullying victimization and perpetration.

Increasing Prevalence of Global Cyberbullying With Changing Social Media Landscape and Measurement Alterations

This comprehensive review suggests that global cyberbullying rates, in terms of victimization and perpetration, were on the rise during the 5 year period, from 2015 to 2019. For example, in an earlier study conducted by Modecki et al. the average cyberbullying involvement rate was 15% ( 81 ). Similar observations were made by Hamm et al. who found that the median rates of youth having experienced bullying or who had bullied others online, was 23 and 15.2%, respectively ( 82 ). However, our systematic review summarized global children and adolescents cyberbullying in the last 5 years and revealed an average cyberbullying perpetration rate of 25.03%, ranging from 6.0 to 46.3%, while the average victimization was 33.08%, ranging from 13.99 to 57.5%. The underlying reason for increases may be attributed to the rapid changing landscape of social media and, in recent years, the drastic increase in Internet penetration rates. With the rise in Internet access, youths have greater opportunities to participate in online activities, provided by emerging social media platforms.

Although our review aims to provide a broader picture of cyberbullying, it is well-noted in extant research that difficulties exist in accurately estimating variations in prevalence in different countries ( 23 , 83 ). Many reasons exist to explain this. The first largely relates poor or unclear definition of the term cyberbullying; this hinders the determination of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration ( 84 ). Although traditional bullying behavior is well-defined, the definition cannot directly be applied to the virtual environment due to the complexity in changing online interactions. Without consensus on definitions, measurement and cyberbullying types may vary noticeably ( 83 , 85 ). Secondly, the estimation of prevalence of cyberbullying is heavily affected by research methods, such as recall period (lifetime, last year, last 6 months, last month, or last week etc.), demographic characteristics of the survey sample (age, gender, race, etc.), perspectives of cyberbullying experiences (victims, perpetrators, or both victim and perpetrator), and instruments (scales, study-specific questions) ( 23 , 84 , 86 ). The variety in research tools and instruments used to assess the prevalence of cyberbullying can cause confusion on this issue ( 84 ). Thirdly, variations in economic development, cultural backgrounds, human values, internet penetration rates, and frequency of using social media may lead to different conclusions across countries ( 87 ).

Acknowledging the Conflicting Role of the Identified Risk Factors With More Research Needed to Establish the Causality

Although this review has identified many personal and situational factors associated with cyberbullying, the majority of studies adopted a cross-sectional design and failed to reveal the causality ( 21 ). Nevertheless, knowledge on these correlational relationships provide valuable insights for understanding and preventing cyberbullying incidents. In terms of gender differences, females are believed to be at a higher risk of cyberbullying victimization compared to males. Two reasons may help to explain this. First, the preferred violence behaviors between two genders. females prefer indirect harassment, such as the spreading of rumors, while males tend toward direct bullying (e.g., assault) ( 29 ) and second, the cultural factors. From the traditional gender perspective, females tended to perceive a greater risk of communicating with others on the Internet, while males were more reluctant to express fear, vulnerability and insecurity when asked about their cyberbullying experiences ( 46 ). Females were more intolerant when experiencing cyberstalking and were more likely to report victimization experiences than males ( 13 ). Meanwhile, many researchers suggested that females are frequent users of emerging digital communication platforms, which increases their risk of unpleasant interpersonal contact and violence. From the perspective of cultural norms and masculinity, the reporting of cyberbullying is also widely acknowledged ( 37 ). For example, in addition, engaging in online activities is also regarded as a critical predictor for cyberbullying victimization. Enabled by the Internet, youths can easily find potential victims and start harassment at any time ( 49 ). Participating in online activities directly increases the chance of experiencing cyberbullying victimization and the possibility of becoming a victim ( 36 , 45 ). As for age, earlier involvement on social media and instant messaging tools may increase the chances of experiencing cyberbullying. For example, in Spain, these tools cannot be used without parental permission before the age of 14 ( 55 ). Besides, senior students were more likely to be more impulsive and less sympathetic. They may portray more aggressive and anti-social behaviors ( 55 , 72 ); hence senior students and students with higher impulsivity were usually more likely to become cyberbullying perpetrators.

Past experiences of victimization and family-related factors are another risk for cyberbullying crime. As for past experiences, one possible explanation is that young people who had experienced online or traditional school bullying may commit cyberbullying using e-mails, instant messages, and text messages for revenge, self-protection, or improving their social status ( 35 , 42 , 49 , 55 ). In becoming a cyberbullying perpetrator, the student may feel more powerful and superior, externalizing angry feelings and relieving the feelings of helplessness and sadness produced by past victimization experiences ( 51 ). As for family related factors, parenting styles are proven to be highly correlated to cyberbullying. In authoritative families, parents focus on rational behavioral control with clear rules and a high component of supervision and parental warmth, which have beneficial effects on children's lifestyles ( 43 ). Conversely, in indulgent families, children's behaviors are not heavily restricted and parents guide and encourage their children to adapt to society. The characteristics of this indulgent style, including parental support, positive communication, low imposition, and emotional expressiveness, possibly contribute to more parent-child trust and less misunderstanding ( 75 ). The protective role of warmth/affection and appropriate supervision, which are common features of authoritative or indulgent parenting styles, mitigate youth engagement in cyberbullying. On the contrary, authoritarian and neglectful styles, whether with excessive or insufficient control, are both proven to be risk factors for being a target of cyberbullying ( 33 , 76 ). In terms of geographical location, although several studies found that children residing in urban areas were more likely to be cyberbullying victims than those living in rural or suburban areas, we cannot draw a quick conclusion here, since whether this difference attributes to macro-level differences, such as community safety or socioeconomic status, or micro-level differences, such as teacher intervention in the classroom, courses provided, teacher-student ratio, is unclear across studies ( 61 ). An alternative explanation for this is the higher internet usage rate in urban areas ( 49 ).

Regarding health conditions, especially mental health, some scholars believe that young people with health problems are more likely to be identified as victims than people without health problems. They perceive health condition as a risk factor for cyberbullying ( 61 , 63 ). On the other hand, another group of scholars believe that cyberbullying has an important impact on the mental health of adolescents which can cause psychological distress consequences, such as post-traumatic stress mental disorder, depression, suicidal ideation, and drug abuse ( 70 , 87 ). It is highly possible that mental health could be risk factors, consequences of cyberbullying or both. Mental health cannot be used as standards, requirements, or decisive responses in cyberbullying research ( 13 ).

The Joint Effort Between Youth, Parents, Schools, and Communities to Form a Cyberbullying-Free Environment

This comprehensive review suggests that protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying requires joint efforts between individuals, parents, schools, and communities, to form a cyberbullying-free environment. For individuals, young people are expected to improve their digital technology capabilities, especially in the use of social media platforms and instant messaging tools ( 55 ). To reduce the number of cyberbullying perpetrators, it is necessary to cultivate emotional self-regulation ability through appropriate emotional management training. Moreover, teachers, counselors, and parents are required to be armed with sufficient knowledge of emotional management and to develop emotional management capabilities and skills. In this way, they can be alert to the aggressive or angry emotions expressed by young people, and help them mediate any negative emotions ( 45 ), and avoid further anti-social behaviors ( 57 ).

For parents, styles of parenting involving a high level of parental involvement, care and support, are desirable in reducing the possibility of children's engagement in cyberbullying ( 74 , 75 ). If difficulties are encountered, open communication can contribute to enhancing the sense of security ( 73 ). In this vein, parents should be aware of the importance of caring, communicating and supervising their children, and participate actively in their children's lives ( 71 ). In order to keep a balance between control and openness ( 47 ), parents can engage in unbiased open communication with their children, and reach an agreement on the usage of computers and smart phones ( 34 , 35 , 55 ). Similarly, it is of vital importance to establish a positive communication channel with children ( 19 ).

For schools, a higher priority is needed to create a safe and positive campus environment, providing students with learning opportunities and ensuring that every student is treated equally. With a youth-friendly environment, students are able to focus more on their academic performance and develop a strong sense of belonging to the school ( 79 ). For countries recognizing collectivist cultural values, such as China and India, emphasizing peer attachment and a sense of collectivism can reduce the risk of cyberbullying perpetration and victimization ( 78 ). Besides, schools can cooperate with mental health agencies and neighboring communities to develop preventive programs, such as extracurricular activities and training ( 44 , 53 , 62 ). Specifically, school-based preventive measures against cyberbullying are expected to be sensitive to the characteristics of young people at different ages, and the intersection of race and school diversity ( 29 , 76 ). It is recommended that school policies that aim to embrace diversity and embody mutual respect among students are created ( 26 ). Considering the high prevalence of cyberbullying and a series of serious consequences, it is suggested that intervention against cyberbullying starts from an early stage, at about 10 years old ( 54 ). Schools can organize seminars to strengthen communication between teachers and students so that they can better understand the needs of students ( 61 ). In addition, schools should encourage cyberbullying victims to seek help and provide students with opportunities to report cyberbullying behaviors, such as creating online anonymous calls.

Conclusions and Limitations

The comprehensive study has reviewed related research on children and adolescents cyberbullying across different countries and regions, providing a positive understanding of the current situation of cyberbullying. The number of studies on cyberbullying has surged in the last 5 years, especially those related to risk factors and protective factors of cyberbullying. However, research on effective prevention is insufficient and evaluation of policy tools for cyberbullying intervention is a nascent research field. Our comprehensive review concludes with possible strategies for cyberbullying prevention, including personal emotion management, digital ability training, policy applicability, and interpersonal skills. We highlight the important role of parental control in cyberbullying prevention. As for the role of parental control, it depends on whether children believe their parents are capable of adequately supporting them, rather than simply interfering in their lives, restricting their online behavior, and controlling or removing their devices ( 50 ). In general, cyberbullying is on the rise, with the effectiveness of interventions to meet this problem still requiring further development and exploration ( 83 ).

Considering the overlaps between cyberbullying and traditional offline bullying, future research can explore the unique risk and protective factors that are distinguishable from traditional bullying ( 86 ). To further reveal the variations, researchers can compare the outcomes of interventions conducted in cyberbullying and traditional bullying preventions simultaneously, and the same interventions only targeting cyberbullying ( 88 ). In addition, cyberbullying also reflects a series of other social issues, such as personal privacy and security, public opinion monitoring, multinational perpetration and group crimes. To address this problem, efforts from multiple disciplines and novel analytical methods in the digital era are required. As the Internet provides enormous opportunities to connect young people from all over the world, cyberbullying perpetrators may come from transnational networks. Hence, cyberbullying of children and adolescents, involving multiple countries, is worth further attention.

Our study has several limitations. First, national representative studies are scarce, while few studies from middle and low income countries were included in our research due to language restrictions. Many of the studies included were conducted in schools, communities, provinces, and cities in high income countries. Meanwhile, our review only focused on victimization and perpetration. Future studies should consider more perspectives, such as bystanders and those with the dual identity of victim/perpetrator, to comprehensively analyze the risk and protective factors of cyberbullying.

Data Availability Statement

Author contributions.

SH, CZ, RE, and WZ conceived the study and developed the design. WZ analyzed the result and supervised the study. CZ and SH wrote the first draft. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.634909/full#supplementary-material

Essays About Cyberbullying: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

Cyberbullying is a serious issue; if you’re writing essays about cyberbullying, these examples should give you inspiration for your assignment.

Cyberbullying is the public harassment, intimidation, and humiliation of others over the internet. It could include posting, sending, or streaming negative content to hurt and ridicule someone. 

With the internet’s power to spread information like wildfire to millions of netizens, coupled with its anonymity that empowers people to say things they wouldn’t otherwise say in person, cyberbullying has created alarming negative effects such as broad mistrust in the online space, a range of mental health issues and increasing suicide incidents.

Cyberbullying is a relevant subject as more people spend their time online. As a result, several institutions and groups have been stepping up efforts to combat bullying on multiple fronts. Here are a few essay examples on bullying: 

1. Support for Cyberbullying Victims Should Start at School by Ben Jackson

2. cancel culture: just another form of bullying by drm, 3. what is cyberbullying and how does it impact work productivity by georgi mamajanyan, 4. bullying, suicide, punishment by john schwartz, 5. can this technology put an end to bullying by sarah griffiths, 10 prompts on essays about cyberbullying, 1. how are cyberbullies made, 2. what are the effects of cyberbullying, 3. do existing laws respond to cyberbullying, 4. when does a joke go too far , 5. how can parent protect their kids from cyberbullying, 6. how can victims stand up against a cyberbully, 7. policy recommendations to counter cyberbullying. , 8. how to prevent cyberbullying victim suicide , 9. privacy settings, why they matter, 10. cyberbullying prevention programs .

“Bullying will always exist in one form or another. Instead of calling for websites to be deleted, let’s modernize our schools so they meet the needs of their pupils.” 

The student-author – himself a victim of bullying – raises concerns on how cyberbullying has become a more dangerous form of bullying, with its ubiquity online and, therefore, seeming inescapability. However, instead of lobbying for take-downs of harmful websites, which could be instantly replaced, Jackson calls for more proactive policies at school that could sufficiently stamp out the culture of bullying. You may also like these essays about cyber crime .

“Their cause may indeed be right and just; we’re not talking about the issues of outrage in this article. What we are talking about is whether or not calling-out individuals online is really social activism, or whether it’s just cyberbullying.”

Cancel culture is publicly calling out someone for a misdeed or misaligned morals or social behavior with the intent to change society for the better. DRM says that social media has “exponentially amplified” cancel or outrage culture, with the “canceled” facing the consequences as grave as a job layoff. However, the author does not see public humiliation effectively driving social change but only promoting a new form of cyberbullying. You might be interested in these articles about racism in schools .

“As workplace cyberbullying is a relatively new area of bullying, there isn’t a significant amount of research and clear data available around the topic. However, there is enough evidence of cyberbullying impacting the performance of employees in the long run​​.”

Cyberbullying threatens workplace productivity, and several companies are doubling down on anti-cyberbullying efforts. The author suggests a list of measures a company can adopt to be more capable of preventing and handling cyberbullying cases.  

“What should the punishment be for acts like cyberbullying and online humiliation? That question is as difficult to answer as how to integrate our values with all the things in our lives made of bits, balancing a right to privacy with the urge to text, tweet, stream and post.”

The writer recounts recent cases of cyberbullying that end in suicide and finds that state statutes “seem ill-fit” to give justice to these lives lost. Through interviews with lawyers and cybersecurity experts, Schwartz finds that imposing a harsher punishment against cyberbullying remains restrained by considerations of personal responsibility and constitutional freedoms. 

“Bullying can cast a dark shadow over people’s lives and leave permanent scars, but artificial intelligence may provide new ways of stamping our harassment and discrimination.”

Griffiths shows how artificial intelligence (AI) offers promising results in actively detecting and taking down bullying content online. The author dives into the efforts social media giants are taking to expand their platforms’ AI features to more accurately filter harmful content and even attempt to interpret suicidal signals.

To help narrow down your topic choices, here is a list of prompts with suggestions on how you could build your story:

Research has found that some bullies are victims of abuse and emotional trauma. But of course, no one’s hurt is a justification for bad behavior, significantly if it harms others. Find the latest research studies that dwell on factors that make a bully. Examine how the internet stimulates their urge to embarrass other people at the expense of “looking good.”

Victims of cyberbullying could develop anxiety, depression, and other stress-related illnesses. It would be great to interview cyberbullying victims for this essay. Allowing them to talk about their struggles could also empower them. Ask them what forms of support they think should be available in the future in schools or offices and how other victims can be encouraged to speak out.  

Examine existing anti-cyberbullying laws in your state and weigh in on how much people are satisfied or dissatisfied with them. Then, discuss ongoing proposals to amend these laws, if any, and find a state to compare them against – preferably one with laws touted to be a model for institutionalizing effective measures against online bullying. 

This is the digital counterpart of the question, “When does teasing become bullying?” Sharing a funny post about someone could be harmless and even nurture friendships. Dive deep into the fine lines that make online activities abusive. Are they frequent? Are they making other people look bad? Provide more questions that people can ask themselves to assess the situation better. 

You can also expand this by providing psychology experts’ tips on how to stop “playful” teasing kids from becoming full-blown bullies.

Kids are highly susceptible to cyberbullying. Everywhere, governments and non-profit organizations have been launching campaigns to support parents in setting up tech boundaries for their kids. Lay down these recommendations and discuss how each one can be effective. If you want to go the extra mile, interview some parents and find out what they are doing to enable their children to protect and defend themselves from online shamers. 

The bystander effect can further perpetuate the culture of bullying. Discuss the importance of encouraging victims to hold bullies accountable. Provide a step-by-step guide on the proper reporting of a cyberbullying incident either at school or directly via online platforms. Help them know what pieces of evidence they should gather that would suffice to take down posts. You may encourage them to get involved in campaigns and use their horrible experience to further anti-cyberbullying advocacy.

Research emerging policy recommendations to counter cyberbullying and enumerate how they can effectively weed out cyberbullies. Discuss how they are making headway in the legislative agenda and share your thoughts about them. Why do you think these bills are urgent and should be prioritized as urgent? 

To focus on policies protecting victims, you may want to navigate how the healthcare system responds to their mental health needs. 

You can explore how suicide helplines support cyberbullying victims. Gather data to see how many of their callers are cyberbullying victims and if there is an upward trend over the years.

Aside from helplines, what can family members and friends do to reach out to someone who may be suffering from online shaming? This is a challenge as most victims are too scared to go into the details of the incident, let alone mention it. Research what psychology experts say and build on their recommendations to encourage families, friends, and the larger society to take action. 

The most common cyberbullying tactic is the sharing of photos and posts online that are spread and made fun of. Suppressing the supply of personal information, photos, and videos that reach bullies is an excellent tactic to keep cyberbullying at bay. Lay down tips that could help people set up their privacy settings for protection. You can even discuss tips specific to social media platforms, given their different security vulnerabilities.  

Describe the programs and initiatives at your school, company, or community to combat cyberbullying. How are they cultivating awareness and enabling you to protect yourself in the digital space better? Interview relevant resource persons about the plans to continue stamping out power imbalances across the organization.

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out our essays about bullying . You might find an interesting topic that also relates to cyberbullying. 

Once you’ve found an exciting prompt to work on, check out our essay writing tips to ensure your essay will be understandable and impressively analytical. 

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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Persuasive Essay About Cyber Bullying

Table of contents:

• Introduction
• Body paragraphs

When you’re considering writing a persuasive essay about cyber bullying, it’s easy to determine that it’s not something anyone’s in favour of. You don’t need to argue the pros and cons of this one. But that actually makes your job a little harder, because you will then need to think about definitions – what exactly is cyber bullying? – and solutions to the problem.

You could go for the relatively straightforward topic of ‘why it is important to stop cyber bullying.’ Alternatively, you could consider various solutions to cyber bullying and write your persuasive essay about the merits of one or another method. You could also think about preventing cyber bullying in the first place, and what steps social media sites would need to take in order for that to happen. You’ll need to consider who you’re writing any one of these topics for, whether that’s students themselves, teachers, parents, or simply concerned individuals who may be witnesses. Here’s a few samples of focus statements.

Introduction examples

Thesis: It is important to stop cyber bullying because everyone should have the right to use social media without being harassed.

Thesis: Cyber bullying has lasting effects on the lives of both the bullied person and the bully and can indeed lead to suicide or murder if steps are not taken swiftly to intervene.

Hook & Thesis: If you think your child couldn’t be a bully, think again. Now more than ever, it’s likely that the average student is involved in cyber bullying, whether bullying, being bullied, or witnessing bullying take place. The solutions lie with you as a parent to intervene before it’s too late.

As you move into the body of your essay, look back at your thesis. You want to defend all the statements you made within it, so quickly outline your arguments and the evidence that goes along with them, before you start writing. Then take your arguments one by one, making sure that if you have any concessions to make to another point of view, you’re also including that in the essay.

Body paragraphs example

Body: Cyber bullying often isn’t only taking place on the internet but in ‘real life’ as well. Bullies may be engaging in similar behaviour on the playground as they do online, so if you are a teacher or a parent, it’s important to watch for visible signs of physical abuse as well as emotional. If a student appears to be shunned by nearly the whole class, or if your child has always been positive and upbeat but suddenly appears to withdraw or will not show you what he or she is doing on their phone, there’s a good chance bullying may be involved. Cyber bullying, however, isn’t just opportunistic bullying, but aimed and targeted, often with the goal of completely destroying the person it is aimed at by driving them to suicide. It’s vital that you intervene to stop this while you can.

As you come to a conclusion, remind your audience of the points you want them to remember, and close by asking them to consider what action they can take.

Conclusion example

Conclusion: Cyber bullying goes beyond the school yard in an attempt to harm every part of a child’s life. Intervene as soon as you can when you see the signs, and you may save your student or child a great deal of distress, and perhaps even their life.

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Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Cyber Bullying / Confronting Cyber Bullying: A Persuasive Approach

Confronting Cyber Bullying: A Persuasive Approach

• Category: Social Issues
• Topic: Bullying , Cyber Bullying , Youth Violence

Pages: 4 (1919 words)

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