Nowadays, teens are spending more time on their mobile devices than ever. In this regard, they are more exposed to age-inappropriate content and vulnerable to being a target of cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse.
Facts About Online Abuse Worldwide
- One in three young people in 30 countries said they had been a victim of online bullying, with one in five reporting skipping school due to cyberbullying and violence.
- A survey of more than 6,000 (10 - 18 years old) from June to August last year found that about 50% of children had experienced at least one kind of cyberbullying in their lifetime.
- Children and young people under 25 who are victims of cyberbullying are more than twice as likely to self-harm and enact suicidal behavior.
- More youths experienced cyberbullying on Instagram than any other platform at 42%, with Facebook close behind at 37%. Snapchat ranked third at 31%.
- Teens who report being bullied say it was because of their: 61% appearance, 25% academic achievement/intelligence, 17% race, 15% sexuality, 15% financial status, 11% religion, and 20% other.
Facts About Online Abuse In America
- There has been a 70% increase in the amount of bullying/hate speech among teens and children in the months since Covid-19 began.
- 59% of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online.
- Teachers reported that cyberbullying is their #1 safety concern in their classrooms.
- 39.1% of kids have seen inappropriate content online.
- 25% of teens on social media reported having an experience resulting in a face-to-face confrontation with someone, 13% reported concern about going to school the next day, and 12% said they'd been called names they did not like via text message.
- 11% received a text message from another student intended to hurt their feelings, 4% reported having something put on a profile page to hurt their feelings, and 3% reported receiving a nasty email from another student.
Who faces Cyberbullying or other types of online abuse in America?
On many occasions, discrimination, hate speech, and harassment are directed at the most vulnerable sectors of society, being targets of disrespectful actions, even in the digital world.
By Gender
Girls are more likely than boys to be both victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying. 15% of teen girls have been the target of at least four different kinds of abusive online behaviors, compared with 6% of boys.
About half of LGBTQ+ students experience online harassment - a higher rate than average.
35.4% of transgender teens (13 - 17 years old) have been victims of cyberbullying.
By Age
27.7% of 15-year-olds are affected by cyberbullying, 27.2% are 14-year-olds, 25.1% are 13-year-olds, 20.2% are 16-year-olds, and 16.2% are 17-year-olds.
By Race
Multiracial teens are the most affected at 29.1%, white youth at 25.8%, 18.1% Hispanic, and 16.1% African American.
At first glance, you might think that the current situation regarding cyberbullying and other digital violence is not very encouraging.
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However, fromĀ Digital4Good we want to show you our contribution to tackle this problem.
We have achieved since 2013:
Total Annual Trained Interns & Mentors
Students & Educators Positively Impacted
Trained Students To Be Digital First Responders
Currently we have:
45
Annual & Seasonal Interns
55
Specialists
+150
Volunteers
27
U.S. States with #ICANHELP Presence
9
Countries with #ICANHELP Presence