11 Facts About Cyberbullying

Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page.

1. About 37% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online. 30% have had it happen more than once.
2. 95% of teens in the U.S. are online, and the vast majority access the internet on their mobile device, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying.
3. 23% of students reported that they’ve said or done something mean or cruel to another person online. 27% reported that they’ve experienced the same from someone else.
4. Girls are more likely than boys to be both victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying. 15% of teen girls have been the target of at least four different kinds of abusive online behaviors, compared with 6% of boys.
5. About half of LGBTQ+ students experience online harassment -- a rate higher than average.
6. Instagram is the social media site where most young people report experiencing cyberbullying, with 42% of those surveyed experiencing harassment on the platform.
7. Young people who experience cyberbullying are at a greater risk than those who don’t for both self-harm and suicidal behaviors.
8. 83% of young people believe social media companies should be doing more to tackle cyberbullying on their platforms.
9. 60% of young people have witnessed online bullying. Most do not intervene.
10. Only 1 in 10 teen victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse.
11. 4 out of 5 students (81%) say they would be more likely to intervene in instances of cyberbullying if they could do it anonymously.

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