While bullying existed long before the internet, the rise of smartphones and social media has brought a new and more public arena into play for this aggressive behavior.
Nearly half of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 (46%) report ever experiencing at least one of six cyberbullying behaviors asked about in a Pew Research Center survey conducted April 14-May 4, 2022.1
The most commonly reported behavior in this survey is name-calling, with 32% of teens saying they have been called an offensive name online or on their cellphone. Smaller shares say they have had false rumors spread about them online (22%) or have been sent explicit images they didn’t ask for (17%).
Some 15% of teens say they have experienced someone other than a parent constantly asking them where they are, what they’re doing or who they’re with, while 10% say they have been physically threatened and 7% of teens say they have had explicit images of them shared without their consent.
In total, 28% of teens have experienced multiple types of cyberbullying.
This report measures cyberbullying of teens using six distinct behaviors:
-Offensive name-calling
-Spreading of false rumors about them
-Receiving explicit images they didn’t ask for
-Physical threats
-Constantly being asked where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with by someone other than a parent
-Having explicit images of them shared without their consent
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