Abstract
Purpose
Despite being relatively new, cyberbullying is now well recognized as a serious public
health problem affecting children and adolescents. Scientific exploration has lagged
media attention, but a synthesis of studies across several disciplines permits an
understanding of its epidemiology, phenomenology, mental health dimensions, and management
tools.
Methods
To assess current knowledge of cyberbullying, we searched the MEDLINE, PubMed and
PsycINFO databases for articles on “cyberbullying” and related designations. The Google
search engine was used to capture otherwise unpublished legislative, governmental,
and community response data and to help identify relevant books and book chapters.
Results
A significant proportion of children and adolescents (20%–40%) have been victims of
cyberbullying, with females and sexual minorities seemingly at higher risk. Perpetrators
are more likely to be male. By nature of the electronic platform, there seems to be
an easier path to the bully-victim phenomenon (victims who become bullies or vice
versa) than that in traditional bullying. A nonlinear relationship with age is suggested,
but demographic data overall are preliminary. Accompanying psychopathology, including
an increasingly well-established link to suicidality, is common. Several prevention
and management approaches have been proposed to help prevent cyberbullying or mitigate
its effects.
Discussion
Cyberbullying's seeming ubiquity, its disproportionate toll on vulnerable populations
(e.g., children and sexual minorities), the link with suicidality, and the expected
continued rise in Internet penetrance and connectivity make confronting it an urgent
matter. A multipronged approach is most likely to succeed and would include: educational
media campaigns; school-based programs; parental oversight and involvement; legislative
action; and screening and evidence-based interventions by health care providers, especially
pediatricians and mental health professionals.
Conclusions
More research is needed into cyberbullying, but available data suggest a serious problem
whose consequences are real and should not be dismissed as a “virtual” by-product
of an increasingly digitalized childhood and adolescence.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 1,
2015
Received:
January 6,
2015
Footnotes
Conflicts of Interest: The authors report no relationships with commercial entities and professional activities that may bias their views.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
