Back to School: Dealing with Cyberbullying

For some kids, back-to-school season isn’t tinged with excitement.

It’s coated in terror.

These students are the victims of regular bullying. Maybe they’ve had a summer reprieve from bullying they face on a daily basis in school hallways and bathrooms. Or maybe not. Thanks to social media, some bullying goes on year-round.

According to an infographic compiled by YPulse, more than a quarter of teenagers have participated in cyberbullying. Girls are more likely than guys to have been bullied online. And sadly, only 20% of high school students who have experienced cyberbullying have told a parent, teacher, or administrator, or talked with a friend about what to do.

In other words, the majority of students bear the pain silently.

Even with the burst of anti-bullying campaigns over the past year or so, a staggering amount of students seem to have accepted that this is just the way things are. This year, if you are a parent or a trusted adult in a teenager’s life, be sure to talk with them about cyberbullying. Let them know they can talk to you if it happens, and help them find other avenues for breaking the silence and getting help.

Here’s an infographic YPulse put together to highlight the problem:

Posted August 10 2012 by

Brad M. Griffin

Brad M. Griffin is the Associate Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, where he gets to develop research-based training for youth workers. In addition to coauthoring Sticky Faith and Deep Justice Journeys, Brad has authored or coauthored a number of youth ministry book chapters and journal articles. A native Kentuckian, Brad now lives in Pasadena with his wife Missy and their three children. After more than 15 years in youth ministry, he now volunteers at Mountainside Communion.

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