Practically half of U.S. teenagers have been bullied or harassed on-line, with bodily look being seen as a comparatively widespread cause why. Older teen ladies are particularly prone to report being focused by on-line abuse total and due to their look
Pew Analysis Middle performed this research to raised perceive teenagers’ experiences with and views on bullying and harassment on-line. For this evaluation, we surveyed 1,316 U.S. teenagers. The survey was performed on-line by Ipsos from April 14 to Might 4, 2022.
This analysis was reviewed and accredited by an exterior institutional assessment board (IRB), Advarra, which is an unbiased committee of consultants that focuses on serving to to guard the rights of analysis members.
Ipsos recruited the kids by way of their mother and father who have been part of its KnowledgePanel, a probability-based internet panel recruited primarily by nationwide, random sampling of residential addresses. The survey is weighted to be consultant of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 who reside with mother and father by age, gender, race, ethnicity, family earnings and different classes.
Listed below are the questions used for this report, together with responses, and its methodology.
Whereas bullying existed lengthy earlier than the web, the rise of smartphones and social media has introduced a new and more public arena into play for this aggressive habits.
Practically half of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 (46%) report ever experiencing at the least one in all six cyberbullying behaviors requested about in a Pew Analysis Middle survey performed April 14-Might 4, 2022.
Probably the most generally reported habits on this survey is name-calling, with 32% of teenagers saying they’ve been known as an offensive identify on-line or on their cellphone. Smaller shares say they’ve had false rumors unfold about them on-line (22%) or have been despatched specific photographs they didn’t ask for (17%).
Some 15% of teenagers say they’ve skilled somebody aside from a mum or dad always asking them the place they’re, what they’re doing or who they’re with, whereas 10% say they’ve been bodily threatened and seven% of teenagers say they’ve had specific photographs of them shared with out their consent.
In whole, 28% of teenagers have skilled a number of kinds of cyberbullying.
Defining cyberbullying on this report
This report measures cyberbullying of teenagers utilizing six distinct behaviors:
- Offensive name-calling
- Spreading of false rumors about them
- Receiving specific photographs they didn’t ask for
- Bodily threats
- Continually being requested the place they’re, what they’re doing, or who they’re with by somebody aside from a mum or dad
- Having specific photographs of them shared with out their consent
Teenagers who point out they’ve personally skilled any of those behaviors on-line or whereas utilizing their cellphone are thought-about targets of cyberbullying on this report. The phrases “cyberbullying” and “on-line harassment” are used interchangeably all through this report.
Age and gender are associated to teenagers’ cyberbullying experiences, with older teen ladies being particularly prone to face this abuse
Teenagers’ experiences with on-line harassment range by age. Some 49% of 15- to 17-year-olds have skilled at the least one of many six on-line behaviors, in contrast with 42% of these ages 13 to 14. Whereas related shares of older and youthful teenagers report being the goal of name-calling or rumor spreading, older teenagers are extra doubtless than their youthful counterparts (22% vs. 11%) to say somebody has despatched them specific photographs they didn’t ask for, an act typically known as cyberflashing; had somebody share specific photographs of them with out their consent, in what’s also referred to as revenge porn (8% vs. 4%); or been the goal of persistent questioning about their whereabouts and actions (17% vs. 12%).
Whereas there isn’t a gender distinction in having ever skilled on-line abuse, teen ladies are extra doubtless than teen boys to say false rumors have been unfold about them. However additional variations are seen when age and gender collectively: 15- to 17-year-old ladies stand out for being significantly prone to have confronted any cyberbullying, in contrast with youthful teen ladies and teenage boys of any age. Some 54% of women ages 15 to 17 have skilled at the least one of many six cyberbullying behaviors, whereas 44% of 15- to 17-year-old boys and 41% of girls and boys ages 13 to 14 say the identical. These older teen ladies are additionally extra doubtless than youthful teen ladies and teenage boys of any age to report being the goal of false rumors and fixed monitoring by somebody aside from a mum or dad.
White, Black and Hispanic teenagers don’t statistically differ in having ever been harassed on-line, however particular kinds of on-line assaults are extra prevalent amongst sure teams. For instance, White teenagers usually tend to report being focused by false rumors than Black teenagers. Hispanic teenagers are extra doubtless than White or Black teenagers to say they’ve been requested always the place they’re, what they’re doing or who they’re with by somebody aside from a mum or dad.
There are additionally variations by family earnings on the subject of bodily threats. Teenagers who’re from households making lower than $30,000 yearly are twice as doubtless as teenagers residing in households making $75,000 or extra a 12 months to say they’ve been bodily threatened on-line (16% vs. 8%).
Past these variations associated to particular harassing behaviors, older teen ladies are significantly prone to say they expertise a number of kinds of on-line harassment. Some 32% of juvenile ladies have skilled two or extra kinds of on-line harassment requested about on this survey, whereas 24% of juvenile boys say the identical. And 15- to 17-year-olds are extra doubtless than 13- to 14-year-olds to have been the goal of a number of kinds of cyberbullying (32% vs. 22%).
These variations are largely pushed by older teen ladies: 38% of juvenile ladies ages 15 to 17 have skilled at the least two of the harassing behaviors requested about on this survey, whereas roughly 1 / 4 of youthful teen ladies and teenage boys of any age say the identical.
Past demographic variations, being the goal of those behaviors and dealing with a number of kinds of these behaviors additionally range by the period of time youth spend on-line. Teenagers who say they’re on-line virtually always are usually not solely extra prone to have ever been harassed on-line than those that report being on-line much less usually (53% vs 40%), however are additionally extra prone to have confronted a number of types of on-line abuse (37% vs. 21%).
These are among the findings from a Pew Analysis Middle on-line survey of 1,316 U.S. teenagers performed from April 14 to Might 4, 2022.
Black teenagers are about twice as doubtless as Hispanic or White teenagers to say they suppose their race or ethnicity made them a goal of on-line abuse
There are quite a few the reason why a teen could also be focused with on-line abuse. This survey requested youth in the event that they believed their bodily look, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or political opinions have been a consider them being the goal of abusive habits on-line.
Teenagers are almost definitely to say their bodily look made them the goal of cyberbullying. Some 15% of all teenagers suppose they have been cyberbullied due to their look.
About one-in-ten teenagers say they have been focused due to their gender (10%) or their race or ethnicity (9%). Teenagers much less generally report being harassed for his or her sexual orientation or their political opinions – simply 5% every.
these numbers another way, 31% of teenagers who’ve personally skilled on-line harassment or bullying suppose they have been focused due to their bodily look. About one-in-five cyberbullied teenagers say they have been focused because of their gender (22%) or their racial or ethnic background (20%). And roughly one-in-ten affected teenagers level to their sexual orientation (12%) or their political opinions (11%) as a cause why they have been focused with harassment or bullying on-line.
The explanations teenagers cite for why they have been focused for cyberbullying are largely related throughout main demographic teams, however there are a couple of key variations. For instance, teen ladies total are extra doubtless than teen boys to say they’ve been cyberbullied due to their bodily look (17% vs. 11%) or their gender (14% vs. 6%). Older teenagers are additionally extra prone to say they’ve been harassed on-line due to their look: 17% of 15- to 17-year-olds have skilled cyberbullying due to their bodily look, in contrast with 11% of teenagers ages 13 to 14.
Older teen ladies are significantly prone to suppose they’ve been harassed on-line due to their bodily look: 21% of all 15- to 17-year-old ladies suppose they’ve been focused for that reason. This compares with about one-in-ten youthful teen ladies or teen boys, no matter age, who suppose they’ve been cyberbullied due to their look.
A teen’s racial or ethnic background pertains to whether or not they report having been focused for cyberbullying due to race or ethnicity. Some 21% of Black teenagers report being made a goal due to their race or ethnicity, in contrast with 11% of Hispanic teenagers and an excellent smaller share of White teenagers (4%).
There are not any partisan variations in teenagers being focused for his or her political opinions, with 5% of those that determine as both Democratic or Republican – together with those that lean towards every occasion – saying they suppose their political opinions contributed to them being cyberbullied.
Black or Hispanic teenagers are extra doubtless than White teenagers to say cyberbullying is a significant drawback for folks their age
Along with measuring teenagers’ personal private experiences with cyberbullying, the survey additionally sought to grasp younger folks’s views about on-line harassment extra usually.
The overwhelming majority of teenagers say on-line harassment and on-line bullying are an issue for folks their age, with 53% saying they’re a significant drawback. Simply 6% of teenagers suppose they aren’t an issue.
Sure demographic teams stand out for a way a lot of an issue they are saying cyberbullying is. Seven-in-ten Black teenagers and 62% of Hispanic teenagers say on-line harassment and bullying are a significant drawback for folks their age, in contrast with 46% of White teenagers. Teenagers from households making underneath $75,000 a 12 months are equally inclined to name one of these harassment a significant drawback, with 62% making this declare, in contrast with 47% of teenagers from extra prosperous houses. Teen ladies are additionally extra doubtless than boys to view cyberbullying as a significant drawback.
Views additionally range by neighborhood kind. Some 65% of teenagers residing in city areas say on-line harassment and bullying are a significant drawback for folks their age, in contrast with about half of suburban and rural teenagers.
Partisan variations seem as nicely: Six-in-ten Democratic teenagers say it is a main drawback for folks their age, in contrast with 44% of Republican teenagers saying this.
Roughly three-quarters of teenagers or extra suppose elected officers and social media websites aren’t adequately addressing on-line abuse
Lately, there have been several initiatives and programs geared toward curtailing bad behavior on-line, however teenagers by and huge view a few of these behind these efforts – together with social media firms and politicians – in a decidedly detrimental gentle.
In line with teenagers, mother and father are doing the most effective of the 5 teams requested about by way of addressing on-line harassment and on-line bullying, with 66% of teenagers saying mother and father are doing at the least job, together with one-in-five saying it is a wonderful job. Roughly four-in-ten teenagers report considering academics (40%) or legislation enforcement (37%) are doing or glorious job addressing on-line abuse. 1 / 4 of teenagers say social media websites are doing at the least job addressing on-line harassment and cyberbullying, and simply 18% say the identical of elected officers. The truth is, 44% of teenagers say elected officers have carried out a poor job addressing on-line harassment and on-line bullying.
Teenagers who’ve been cyberbullied are extra essential of how numerous teams have addressed on-line bullying than those that haven’t
Teenagers who’ve skilled harassment or bullying on-line have a really totally different perspective on how numerous teams have been dealing with cyberbullying in contrast with those that haven’t confronted one of these abuse. Some 53% of teenagers who’ve been cyberbullied say elected officers have carried out a poor job on the subject of addressing on-line harassment and on-line bullying, whereas 38% who haven’t undergone these experiences say the identical (a 15 share level hole). Double-digit variations additionally seem between teenagers who’ve and haven’t been cyberbullied of their views on how legislation enforcement, social media websites and academics have addressed on-line abuse, with teenagers who’ve been harassed or bullied on-line being extra essential of every of those three teams. These harassed teenagers are additionally twice as doubtless as their friends who report no abuse to say mother and father have carried out a poor job of combatting on-line harassment and bullying.
Other than these variations primarily based on private expertise with cyberbullying, just a few variations are seen throughout main demographic teams. For instance, Black teenagers specific higher cynicism than White teenagers about how legislation enforcement has fared on this area: 33% of Black teenagers say legislation enforcement is doing a poor job on the subject of addressing on-line harassment and on-line bullying; 21% of White teenagers say the identical. Hispanic teenagers (25%) don’t differ from both group on this query.
Massive majorities of teenagers imagine everlasting bans from social media and prison fees will help cut back harassment on the platforms
Teenagers have various views about potential actions that might assist to curb the quantity of on-line harassment youth encounter on social media.
Whereas a majority of teenagers say every of 5 potential options requested about within the survey would at the least assist a bit of, sure measures are considered as being simpler than others.
Teenagers see essentially the most profit in prison fees for customers who bully or harass on social media or completely locking these customers out of their account. Half of teenagers say every of those choices would assist so much in lowering the quantity of harassment and bullying teenagers could face on social media websites.
About four-in-ten teenagers suppose that if social media firms seemed for and deleted posts they suppose are bullying or harassing (42%) or if customers of those platforms have been required to make use of their actual names and footage (37%) it might assist so much in addressing these points. The thought of forcing folks to make use of their actual identify whereas on-line has lengthy existed and been closely debated: Proponents see it as a option to maintain unhealthy actors accountable and maintain on-line conversations more civil, whereas detractors imagine it might do little to unravel harassment and will even worsen it.
Three-in-ten teenagers say college districts monitoring college students’ social media exercise for bullying or harassment would assist so much. Some college districts already use digital monitoring software to assist them determine worrying scholar habits on school-owned devices, social media and other online platforms. Nevertheless, these applications have been met with criticism relating to privacy issues, mixed results and whether or not they do more harm than good.
Having personally skilled on-line harassment is unrelated to a teen’s view on whether or not these potential measures would assist so much in lowering a majority of these hostile experiences on social media. Views do range broadly by a teen’s racial or ethnic background, nonetheless.
Black or Hispanic teenagers are constantly extra optimistic than White teenagers concerning the effectiveness of every of those measures.
Majorities of each Black and Hispanic teenagers say completely locking customers out of their account in the event that they bully or harass others or prison fees for customers who bully or harass on social media would assist so much, whereas about four-in-ten White teenagers specific every view.
Within the case of everlasting bans, Black teenagers additional stand out from their Hispanic friends: Seven-in-ten say this may assist so much, adopted by 59% of Hispanic teenagers and 42% of White teenagers.
