Girls are a bit more likely than boys to say that bullying happens more online (33% of girls vs.
25% of boys), though overall, both boys and girls say that kids their age are more likely to be
harassed offline. White teens are bit more likely than African-American teens to think that
bullying is more of a problem online – 32% of white teens said bullying happens more often
online, while 18% of African-American teens said the same. Teens who have online profiles are
just as likely as those who do not to say that bullying happens more often offline.
Teen who have been cyberbullied are more likely than their peers who have not been bullied to
say that they believe bullying happens online more than offline. However, the majority of bullied
teens say that bullying is more likely to happen offline than online. More than 7 in 10 (71%) of
teens who have not experienced bullying believe it happens more often offline, while 57% of
teens who have been cyberbullied themselves say bullying happens more offline.
Why do teens bully online?
In our focus groups, we asked teens about online experiences they had with bullying and
harassment. In some cases what we heard was that adolescent cruelty had simply moved from the
school yard, the locker room, the bathroom wall and the phone onto the internet. The simplicity
of being able to replicate and quickly transmit digital content makes bullying quite easy. “Just
copy and paste whatever somebody says,” a middle school girl explains as she describes online
bullying tactics. “You have to watch what you say…” counsels another middle school girl. “If
that person’s at their house and if you say something about them and you don’t know they’re
there or if you think that person’s your friend and you trust them and you’re like, ‘Oh, well, she’s
really being annoying,’ she could copy and paste and send it to [anyone]…” Another middle
school girl describes how the manipulation of digital materials can be used to hurt someone.
“Like I was in a fight with a girl and she printed out our conversation, changed some things that I
said, and brought it into school, so I looked like a terrible person.”
Some teens suggested that it is the mediated nature of the communication that contributes to
bullying, insulating teens from the consequences of their actions. One high school boy responded
to the question whether he had heard of cyberbullying: “I've heard of it and experienced it.
People think they are a million times stronger because they can hide behind their computer
monitor. Also known as ‘e-thugs.’ Basically I just ignored the person and went along with my
own civilized business.” A middle school girl described “stuff starting online for no reason.”
Intolerance also sparks online bullying incidents, as a middle school girl related in a focus group.
“I have this one friend and he’s gay and his account got hacked and someone put all these really
homophobic stuff on there and posted like a mass bulletin of like some guy with his head
smashed open like run over by a car. It was really gruesome and disgusting.”
Bullying has entered the digital age. The impulses behind it are the same, but the effect is
magnified. In the past, the materials of bullying would have been whispered, shouted or passed
around. Now, with a few clicks, a photo, video or a conversation can be shared with hundreds via
email or millions through a website, online profile or blog posting.
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