View source for Cyberbullying

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{{short description|Type of bullying occurs within electronic communication networking, the Internet and computer technology}}
{{redirect|Cyberbully}}
{{for|the Wikipedia guidance essay|Wikipedia:Cyberbullying|selfref=yes}}
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'''Cyberbullying''' or '''cyberharassment''' is a form of [[bullying]] or [[harassment]] using [[Electronic communication network|electronic]] means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as '''online bullying'''. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital sphere has expanded and technology has advanced.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils|journal=The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x|pmid=18363945 |volume=49|issue=4|pages=376–385|year=2008|last1=Smith|first1=Peter K.|last2=Mahdavi|first2=Jess|last3=Carvalho|first3=Manuel|last4=Fisher|first4=Sonja|last5=Russell|first5=Shanette|last6=Tippett|first6=Neil|doi-access=free}}</ref> Cyberbullying is when someone, typically a teenager, bullies or harasses others on the [[internet]] and other digital spaces, particularly on [[Social media|social media site]]s. Harmful bullying behavior can include posting rumors, [[threats]], sexual remarks, a [[Doxing|victims' personal information]], or pejorative labels (i.e. [[hate speech]]).<ref name="definitions.uslegal.com" /> Bullying or harassment can be identified by repeated behavior and an intent to harm.<ref name=":3" /> Victims of cyberbullying may experience lower self-esteem, increased [[suicidal ideation]], and various negative emotional responses, including being scared, frustrated, angry, or depressed.<ref name="patchin3" />

Awareness in the United States has risen in the [[2010s]], due in part to high-profile cases.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hu|first=Winnie|others=Nate Schweber|date=October 1, 2010|title=Legal Debate Swirls Over Charges in a Student's Suicide|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/nyregion/02suicide.html?_r=0|access-date=December 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last1=Chapin |first1=John |title=Adolescents and Cyber Bullying: The Precaution Adoption Process Model |journal=Education and Information Technologies |date=July 2016 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=719–728 |doi=10.1007/s10639-014-9349-1 |s2cid=17263766 }}</ref> Several US states and other countries have passed laws to combat cyberbullying.<ref name=":5" /> Some are designed to specifically target teen cyberbullying, while others extend from the scope of physical harassment.<ref name=":6" /> In cases of adult cyberharassment, these reports are usually filed beginning with local police.<ref name=":7" /> The laws differ by area or state.

Research has demonstrated a number of serious consequences of cyberbullying [[victimisation]].<ref name="patchin1" /> Specific statistics on the negative effects of cyberbullying differ by country and other demographics. Some researchers point out there could be some way to use modern computer techniques to determine and stopping cyberbullying.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Akshi |last2=Sachdeva |first2=Nitin |title=Cyberbullying detection on social multimedia using soft computing techniques: a meta-analysis |journal=Multimedia Tools and Applications |date=September 2019 |volume=78 |issue=17 |pages=23973–24010 |doi=10.1007/s11042-019-7234-z |s2cid=59159655 }}</ref>

[[Internet troll]]ing is a common form of bullying that takes place in an [[online community]] (such as [[Online game|online gaming]] or social media) in order to elicit a reaction or disruption, or simply just for someone's own personal amusement.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="pewFiveFacts" /> [[Cyberstalking]] is another form of bullying or harassment that uses electronic communications to [[Stalking|stalk]] a victim; this may pose a credible threat to the victim.<ref name=":2" />

Not all negative interaction online or on social media can be attributed to cyberbullying. Research suggests that there are also interactions online that result in [[peer pressure]], which can have a negative, positive, or neutral impact on those involved.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=O'Keeffe |first1=G. S. |last2=Clarke-Pearson |first2=K. |last3=Council on Communications and |first3=Media. |title=The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families |journal=Pediatrics |date=1 April 2011 |volume=127 |issue=4 |pages=800–804 |doi=10.1542/peds.2011-0054 |pmid=21444588 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu/influence-of-social-media-on-teenagers_b_7427740.html|title=Influence of Social Media on Teenagers|last=Ramasubbu|first=Suren|date=May 26, 2015|website=Huffington Post|language=en-US|access-date=November 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-teenage-brain-on-social-media|title=The teenage brain on social media|last=Wolpert|first=Stuart|website=UCLA Newsroom|language=en|access-date=November 30, 2017}}</ref>

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== Definitions ==
A frequently used definition of cyberbullying is "an aggressive, intentional act or behavior that is carried out by a group or an individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Moreno |first1=Megan A. |title=Cyberbullying |journal=JAMA Pediatrics |date=1 May 2014 |volume=168 |issue=5 |pages=500 |doi=10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.3343 |pmid=24791741 |doi-access=free }}</ref> There are many variations of the definition, such as the [[National Crime Prevention Council]]'s more specific definition: "the process of using the Internet, cell phones or other devices to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person."<ref name=":1" />

Cyberbullying is often similar to traditional bullying, with some notable distinctions. Victims of cyberbullying may not know the identity of their bully, or why the bully is targeting them, based on the online nature of the interaction. The harassment can have wide-reaching effects on the victim, as the content used to harass the victim can be spread and shared easily among many people and often remains accessible long after the initial incident.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Pettalia|first1=Jennifer L.|last2=Levin|first2=Elizabeth|last3=Dickinson|first3=Joël|date=November 1, 2013|title=Cyberbullying: Eliciting harm without consequence|journal=Computers in Human Behavior|volume=29|issue=6|pages=2758–2765|doi=10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.020}}</ref>

The terms "[[cyberharassment]]" and "cyberbullying" are sometimes used synonymously, though some people use the latter to refer specifically to harassment among minors or in a school setting.<ref name=":2">{{Cite report|url=https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=735549|title=Protection of Children Online: Federal and State Laws Addressing Cyberstalking, Cyberharassment, and Cyberbullying|last=Smith|first=Alison M.|date=September 5, 2008}}</ref>

=== Cyberstalking===
{{further|Cyberstalking}}
Cyberstalking is a form of online harassment in which the perpetrator uses electronic communications to [[Stalking|stalk]] a victim. This is considered more dangerous than other forms of cyberbullying because it generally involves a credible threat to the victim's safety. Cyberstalkers may send repeated messages intended to threaten or harass, and they may encourage others to do the same, either explicitly or by impersonating their victim and asking others to contact them.<ref name=":2" />

=== Trolling ===
{{Further|Internet troll}}
Internet trolls intentionally try to provoke or offend others in order to elicit a reaction.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Diaz|first=Fernando L.|year=2016|title=Trolling & the First Amendment: Protecting Internet Speech in the Era of Cyberbullies & Internet Defamation|journal=University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology & Policy|pages=135–160}}</ref> Trolls and cyberbullies do not always have the same goals: while some trolls engage in cyberbullying, others may be engaged in comparatively harmless mischief. A troll may be disruptive either for their own amusement or because they are genuinely a combative person.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/10/what-an-academic-who-wrote-her-dissertation-on-trolls-thinks-of-violentacrez/263631/|title = What an Academic Who Wrote Her Dissertation on Trolls Thinks of Violentacrez|date = October 15, 2012|website = The Atlantic|last = Phillips|first = Whitney}}</ref>

== Methods used ==
[[File:Where Cyberbullying Is Occuring.jpg|thumb|Where cyberbullying is occurring<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statisticbrain.com/cyber-bullying-statistics/|title=Cyberbullying / Bullying Statistics|date=February 19, 2016}}</ref>]]

Manuals intended to educate the public about cyberbullying summarize that cyberbullying is inclusive of acts of intended cruelty to others in the form of posting or sending material using an internet capable device.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Irimia |first1=Ramona-Elena |last2=Gottschling |first2=Marc |title=Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales) |journal=Biodiversity Data Journal |date=8 June 2016 |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=e7720 |doi=10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720 |pmid=27346952 |pmc=4910500 }}</ref> Research, legislation and education in the field are ongoing. Research has identified basic definitions and guidelines to help recognize and cope with what is regarded as abuse of electronic communications.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cforks.org/Downloads/cyber_bullying.pdf|title=Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats Effectively Managing Internet Use Risks in Schools|last=Willard|first=Nancy|date=2007|website=Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet}}</ref>

* Cyberbullying involves repeated behavior with intent to harm.
* Cyberbullying is perpetrated through [[harassment]], [[cyberstalking]], denigration (sending or posting cruel rumors and falsehoods to damage reputation and friendships), [[impersonation]], and exclusion (intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group)<ref name=":3">''[http://csriu.org/cyberbully/docs/cbcteducator.pdf An Educator's Guide to Cyberbullying]'' Brown Senate.gov, archived from [https://web.archive.org/web/20110410181159/http://csriu.org/cyberbully/docs/cbcteducator.pdf the original] on April 10, 2011</ref>
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage = [[File:Ashley Judd ioc cropped.jpg|210px]] | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSf6nij-SdA How online abuse of women has spiraled out of control], Ashley Judd, [[TED (conference)|TED Talks]], 16:10<ref name="ted">{{cite web | title =How online abuse of women has spiraled out of control | publisher =[[TED (conference)]] | date = January 18, 2017 | url =http://www.ted.com/talks/ashley_judd_how_online_abuse_of_women_has_spiraled_out_of_control | access-date =January 18, 2017 }}</ref> }}
Cyberbullying can be as simple as continuing to send emails or text messages harassing someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender. It may also include public actions such as repeated [[threat]]s, sexual remarks, pejorative labels (i.e. [[hate speech]]) or defamatory false accusations, ganging up on a victim by making the person the subject of ridicule in online forums, hacking into or vandalizing sites about a person, and posting false statements as fact aimed a discrediting or humiliating a targeted person.<ref>{{cite web|title=Defining a Cyberbully|url=https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=121847|publisher=The National Science Foundation|access-date=November 8, 2011}}</ref> Cyberbullying could be limited to posting rumors about a person on the internet with the intention of bringing about hatred in others' minds or convincing others to dislike or participate in online denigration of a target. It may go to the extent of personally identifying victims of crime and publishing materials defaming or humiliating them.<ref name="definitions.uslegal.com">[http://definitions.uslegal.com/c/cyber-bullying/ Cyberbullying – Law and Legal Definitions] US Legal</ref>

Cyberbullies may disclose victims' personal data (e.g. real name, home address, or workplace/schools) on websites or forums—called [[doxing]], or may use [[impersonation]], creating fake accounts, comments or sites posing as their target for the purpose of publishing material in their name that defames, discredits or ridicules them.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Mengtong|last2=Cheung|first2=Anne Shann Yue|last3=Chan|first3=Ko Ling|date=January 2019|title=Doxing: What Adolescents Look for and Their Intentions|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|language=en|volume=16|issue=2|pages=218|doi=10.3390/ijerph16020218|pmc=6352099|pmid=30646551}}</ref> This can leave the cyberbully anonymous, which can make it difficult for them to be caught or punished for their behavior, although not all cyberbullies maintain their anonymity. Users of semi-anonymous chat websites are at high risk for cyberbullying, as it is also easy in this outlet for a cyberbully to remain anonymous.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hosseinmardi|first1=H.|last2=Ghasemianlangroodi|first2=A.|last3=Han|first3=R.|last4=Lv|first4=Q.|last5=Mishra|first5=S.|date=August 2014|title=Towards understanding cyberbullying behavior in a semi-anonymous social network|journal=2014 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining (ASONAM 2014)|pages=244–252|doi=10.1109/ASONAM.2014.6921591|isbn=978-1-4799-5877-1|bibcode=2014arXiv1404.3839H|arxiv=1404.3839|s2cid=14481506}}</ref> Text or instant messages and emails between friends can also constitute cyberbullying if what is said is hurtful.

[[File:Email final.jpg|thumb|Cyberbullying by [[email]] from a fictional friend@[[hotmail.com]]]]
The recent rise of smartphones and mobile apps have yielded a more accessible form of cyberbullying. It is expected that cyberbullying via these platforms will occur more often than through more stationary internet platforms because of constant access to the internet. In addition, the combination of cameras and Internet access and the instant availability of these modern smartphone technologies yield specific types of cyberbullying not found in other platforms. It is likely that those cyberbullied via mobile devices will experience a wider range of cyberbullying methods than those who are exclusively bullied elsewhere.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Görzig|first=Anke|author2=Lara A. Frumkin|title=Cyberbullying experiences on-the-go: When social media can become distressing|journal=Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace|volume=7|issue=1|year=2013|doi=10.5817/CP2013-1-4|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Some teens argue that some events categorized as cyberbullying are simply drama. Danah Boyd writes, "teens regularly used that word [drama] to describe various forms of interpersonal conflict that ranged from insignificant joking around to serious jealousy-driven relational aggression. Whereas adults might have labeled many of these practices as bullying, teens saw them as drama."<ref>Boyd, D. (2014). Bullying is social media amplifying meanness and cruelty? In It's Complicated the social lives of networked teens (p. 137). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.</ref>

=== In social media ===
Cyberbullying can take place on social media sites such as [[Facebook]], [[Myspace]], and [[Twitter]]. "By 2008, 93% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 were online. In fact, youth spend more time with media than any single other activity besides sleeping."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/millennials/teen-internet-use-graphic/ |title=Teen and Young Adult Internet Use |work=Pew Internet Project |access-date=January 5, 2015}}</ref> The last decade has witnessed a surge of cyberbullying, which is categorized as bullying that occurs through the use of electronic communication technologies, such as e-mail, instant messaging, social media, online gaming, or through digital messages or images sent to a cellular phone.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kowalski |first1=Robin M. |last2=Giumetti |first2=Gary W. |last3=Schroeder |first3=Amber N. |last4=Lattanner |first4=Micah R. |title=Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. |journal=Psychological Bulletin |date=July 2014 |volume=140 |issue=4 |pages=1073–1137 |doi=10.1037/a0035618 |pmid=24512111 }}</ref>

There are many risks attached to social media sites, and cyberbullying is one of the larger risks.<ref name=":12"/> One million children were harassed, threatened or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook during the past year,{{when|date=December 2017}} while 90 percent of social-media-using teens who have witnessed online cruelty say they have ignored mean behavior on social media, and 35 percent have done so frequently. Ninety-five percent of social-media-using teens who have witnessed cruel behavior on social networking sites say they have seen others ignoring the mean behavior, and 55 percent have witnessed this frequently.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm |title=Cyberbullying Statistics |work=Internet Safety 101 |access-date=January 5, 2015}}</ref> Terms like "Facebook depression" have been coined specifically in regard to the result of extended social media use, with cyberbullying playing a large part in this.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
[[File:Submit The Documentary,March 2013.jpg|thumb|Submit The Documentary. An award-winning documentary about the effects of cyberbullying that is shown in schools across the globe.]]

Cyberbullying has become more common nowadays because of all the technology that children have access to. The most common apps that teenagers use to cyberbully are [[Instagram]], Twitter, and [[Snapchat]].<ref name=":12">{{cite journal |last1=Byrne |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Vessey |first2=Judith A. |last3=Pfeifer |first3=Lauren |title=Cyberbullying and Social Media: Information and Interventions for School Nurses Working With Victims, Students, and Families |journal=The Journal of School Nursing |date=February 2018 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=38–50 |doi=10.1177/1059840517740191 |pmid=29103352 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Cyberbullying has become harder to stop because parents and teachers are unaware of when and where it is happening.<ref name=":12" /> Teens will say awful things to one another online and what they do not realize is that once it is said and published online it will not go away. Home used to be a safe place for teens, but now a child is still within reach of becoming a victim of cyberbullying- whether it is through [[YouTube]], [[Ask.fm]], or a [[Text messaging|text message]].<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":12" />

According to a 2013 [[Pew Research Center|Pew Research]] study, eight out of ten teens who use social media now share more information about themselves than they have in the past. This includes their location, images, and contact information.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/05/21/teens-social-media-and-privacy/ |title=Teens, Social Media, and Privacy |access-date=November 15, 2015|date=May 21, 2013 }}</ref> In order to protect children, it is important that personal information such as age, birthday, school/church, phone number, etc. be kept confidential.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highya.com/articles-guides/stranger-danger-protecting-your-children-from-cyber-bullying-sexting-and-social-media |title=Stranger Danger: Protecting Your Children from Cyber Bullying, Sexting, & Social Media |access-date=November 15, 2015}}</ref>

Two studies from 2014 found that 80% of body-shaming [[Twitter|tweets]] are sent by women, while they also accounted for 50% of [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] tweets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36380247|title=Twitter abuse - '50% of misogynistic tweets from women'|date=May 26, 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=September 7, 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.demos.co.uk/press-release/staggering-scale-of-social-media-misogyny-mapped-in-new-demos-study/|title=New Demos study reveals scale of social media misogyny - Demos|website=www.demos.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>

Cyberbullying can also take place through the use of websites belonging to certain groups to effectively request the targeting of another individual or group. An example of this is the [[#Bullying of climate scientists and activists|bullying of climate scientists and activists]].<ref name=scientificamerican-climate>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-cyber-bullying|title=Cyber Bullying Intensifies as Climate Data Questioned|author1=Douglas Fischer |author2=The Daily Climate |work=scientificamerican.com}}</ref><ref name=timemag-climate>{{cite magazine|url=http://ideas.time.com/2012/04/10/when-grownups-bully-climate-scientists/|title=Dominique Browning: When Grownups Bully Climate Scientists – TIME.com|magazine=TIME.com}}</ref><ref name=latrobe-climate>{{cite web|url=http://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2011/opinion/bullying-climate-change-scientists|title=Bullying climate change scientists|work=latrobe.edu.au}}</ref>

=== In gaming ===
{{See also|Gamergate controversy|2017 Wichita swatting}}
[[File:Gamers Playin expo.jpg|thumb|Harassment in [[gaming culture]] can occur in [[Online game|online gaming]].]]
Of those who reported having experienced online harassment in a Pew Research poll, 16% said the most recent incident had occurred in an online game.<ref name="pewFiveFacts">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/10/30/5-facts-about-online-harassment/|last=Duggan|first=Maeve|publisher=Pew Research Center|title=5 facts about online harassment}}</ref> A study from National Sun Yat-sen University observed that children who enjoyed violent video games were significantly more likely to both experience and perpetrate cyberbullying.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Paths to Bullying in Online Gaming: The Effects of Gender, Preference for Playing Violent Games, Hostility, and Aggressive Behavior on Bullying|journal=Journal of Educational Computing Research|volume=47|issue=3|pages=235–249|doi=10.2190/ec.47.3.a|year=2013|last1=Yang|first1=Shu Ching|s2cid=145419778}}</ref>

Another study that discusses the direct correlation between exposure to violent video games and cyber bullying also took into account personal factors such as "duration of playing online games, alcohol consumption in the last 3 months, parents drunk in the last 3 months, anger, hostility, ADHD, and a sense of belonging"<ref>Lam L, Cheng Z and Liu X, 'Violent Online Games Exposure And Cyberbullying/Victimization Among Adolescents' (2013) 16 Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking</ref> as potential contributing factors of cyberbullying.

Gaming was a more common venue for men in which to experience harassment, whereas women's harassment tended to occur more via social media.<ref name="washpoPewGamergate">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/10/23/gamergate-and-how-internet-users-think-about-gaming-and-harassment/|last=Rosenberg|first=Alyssa|work=The Washington Post|title=Gamergate and how Internet users think about gaming and harassment}}</ref> Most respondents considered [[gaming culture]] to be equally welcoming to both genders, though 44% thought it favored men.<ref name="nprPewLeastWelcoming">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/10/22/357826882/pew-gaming-is-least-welcoming-online-space-for-women|last=Hu|first=Elise|publisher=NPR|work=All Tech Considered|title=Pew: Gaming Is Least Welcoming Online Space For Women}}</ref> Sexual harassment in gaming generally involves slurs directed towards women, sex role stereotyping, and overaggressive language.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Norris|first1=Kamala O.|year=2004|title=Gender Stereotypes, Aggression, and Computer Games: An Online Survey of Women|journal=CyberPsychology & Behavior|volume=7|issue=6|pages=714–27|doi=10.1089/cpb.2004.7.714|pmid=15687807}}</ref> Keza MacDonald writes in ''[[The Guardian]]'' that [[sexism in gaming|sexism exists in gaming culture]], but is not mainstream within it.<ref name="guardianReallySexist">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2012/mar/06/are-gamers-really-sexist|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=MacDonald|first=Keza|title=Are gamers really sexist?|date=March 6, 2012}}</ref> U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] made reference to the harassment of women gamers during his remarks in honor of Women's History Month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/16/remarks-president-reception-honor-womens-history-month|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|title=Remarks by the President at Reception in Honor of Women's History Month|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|date=March 16, 2016}}</ref>

Competitive gaming scenes have been less welcoming of women than has broader gaming culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/02/women-are-gamers-but-largely-absent-from-e-sports/|work=Ars Technica|last=Johnston|first=Casey|title=Women are gamers, but largely absent from "e-sports"|date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> In an internet-streamed fighting game competition, one female gamer forfeited a match after the coach of her team, Aris Bakhtanians, stated, "The sexual harassment is part of the culture. If you remove that from the fighting game community, it's not the fighting game community."<ref name="nytimesOnlineGaming" /> The comments were widely condemned by gamers, with comments in support of sexual harassment "drowned out by a vocal majority of people expressing outrage, disappointment and sympathy."<ref name="guardianReallySexist" /> The incident built momentum for action to counter sexual harassment in gaming.<ref name="nytimesOnlineGaming">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/us/sexual-harassment-in-online-gaming-stirs-anger.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|last=O'Leary|first=Amy|title=In Virtual Play, Sex Harassment Is All Too Real}}</ref>

Some game developers have been subjected to harassment and death threats by players upset by changes to a game or by a developer's online policies.<ref name="polygonPlague">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/15/4622252/plague-of-game-dev-harassment-erodes-industry-spurs-support-groups|last=Crecente|first=Brian|work=Polygon|title=Plague of game dev harassment erodes industry, spurs support groups|date=August 15, 2013}}</ref> Harassment also occurs in reaction to critics such as [[Jack Thompson (activist)|Jack Thompson]] or [[Anita Sarkeesian]], whom some fans see as threats to the medium.<ref name="guardianCriticismCensorship">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/30/gamers-criticism-censorship|last=Jenkins|first=Ria|journal=The Guardian|title=When will gamers understand that criticism isn't censorship?|date=January 30, 2015}}</ref><ref name="psmagGamerProblem" /> Various people have been harassed in connection with the [[Gamergate controversy]].<ref name="observerBlameGamergate">{{cite web|url=http://observer.com/2015/10/blame-gamergates-bad-rep-on-smears-and-shoddy-journalism/|last=Young|first=Cathy|work=New York Observer|title=Blame GamerGate's Bad Rep on Smears and Shoddy Journalism|date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> Harassment related to gaming is not of a notably different severity or tenor compared to online harassment motivated by other subcultures or advocacy issues.<ref name="psmagGamerProblem">{{cite web|url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/online-harassment-women-isnt-just-gamer-problem-90518|last=Berlatsky|first=Noah|work=Pacific Standard|title=Online Harassment of Women Isn't Just a Gamer Problem}}</ref>

Sabotage among rival [[crowdfunding]] campaigns is a recurring problem for projects related to gaming.<ref name="lifehackerCrowdfunding">{{cite web|url=http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/08/crowdsourcing-tends-to-attract-the-worst-kind-of-people/|last=Jager|first=Chris|work=Lifehacker|publisher=Gawker Media|title=Crowdsourcing Tends To Attract The Worst Kind Of People|date=August 25, 2014}}</ref>

Some instances of [[swatting]] in games such as ''[[Call of Duty]]'' and ''[[League of Legends]]'' have resulted in law enforcement [[SWAT]] units called on individuals' homes as a prank. On December 28, 2017, [[Wichita, Kansas]] police officers killed Andrew Finch at his Kansas home in a reported swatting prank.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article192111974.html|title=Call of Duty gaming community points to 'swatting' in deadly Wichita police shooting|last=Manna|first=Nicole|date=December 29, 2017|work=The Wichita Eagle|access-date=December 29, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== In search engines ===
[[Information cascade]]s happen when users start passing along information they assume to be true, but cannot know to be true, based on information on what other users are doing. This can be accelerated by search engines' ranking technologies and their [[personalized search|tendency to return results relevant to a user's previous interests]]. This type of information spreading is hard to stop. Information cascades over social media and the Internet may also be harmless, and may contain truthful information.<ref name=citron-hatecrimes />

Bullies use [[Google bomb]]s (a term applicable to any search engine)<ref name="Marziah Karch">{{cite web|author=Marziah Karch|date=November 5, 2018|title=What Is a Google Bomb: Google bombs explained|url=https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-google-bomb-1616351|access-date=December 17, 2018|website=Lifewire}}</ref> to increase the prominence of favored posts sorted by the most popular searches, done by linking to those posts from as many other web pages as possible. Examples include the [[campaign for the neologism "santorum"]] organized by the [[LGBT]] lobby. Google bombs can manipulate the Internet's search engines regardless of how authentic the pages are, but there is a way to counteract this type of manipulation as well.<ref name=citron-hatecrimes>{{Cite book|title = Hate Crimes in Cyberspace|last = Citron|first = Danielle|publisher = Harvard University Press|year = 2014 |location = Cambridge, Mass., USA & London, UK|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wmiABAAAQBAJ |isbn=978-0-674-36829-3 }}</ref>

== Law enforcement ==
A majority of states have laws that explicitly include electronic forms of communication within stalking or harassment laws.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=http://www.victimsofcrime.org/docs/src/cyberstalking---dangers-on-the-information-superhighway.pdf?sfvrsn=2|title=Cyberstalking: dangers on the information superhighway|last1=Gregorie|first1=Trudy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328084720/http://www.victimsofcrime.org/docs/src/cyberstalking---dangers-on-the-information-superhighway.pdf?sfvrsn=2|archive-date=March 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cyberstalking, cyberharassment and cyberbullying|url=http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/cyberbullying.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906024827/http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/cyberstalking-and-cyberharassment-laws.aspx|archive-date=September 6, 2015|website=NCSL National Conference of State Legislatures}}</ref><ref>[http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.61.260 Cyberstalking] Washington State Legislature</ref> Most law enforcement agencies have cyber-crime units, and Internet stalking is often treated with more seriousness than reports of physical stalking.<ref>{{cite web|title = Back Off, Bully!|last = Bailey|first = Melissa|date = May 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=What Is Cyberstalking?|url=http://www.cla.purdue.edu/people/engl/blackmon/101cresources/cyberstalking.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227054307/http://www.cla.purdue.edu/people/engl/blackmon/101cresources/cyberstalking.htm|archive-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref> Help and resources can be searched by state or area.

=== Schools ===
The safety of online privacy issues in schools is increasingly becoming a focus of state legislative action. There was an increase in cyberbullying enacted legislation between 2006 and 2010.<ref>[http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/cyberbullying.aspx Cyberbullying Enacted Legislation: 2006–2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609000529/http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/cyberbullying.aspx |date=June 9, 2013 }} Legislation by State, NCSL</ref> Initiatives and curriclulum requirements also exist in the UK (the ''Ofsted eSafety guidance'') and Australia (''Overarching Learning Outcome 13'').

In 2012, a group of teenagers in a design class [[New Haven, Connecticut]] developed an application to help fight bullying, "Back Off Bully" (BOB). This is an anonymous resource for computer, smart phone or iPad, designed so when someone witnesses or is the victim of bullying, they can immediately report the incident. The app asks questions about time, location and how the bullying is happening, as well as provides positive action and empowerment regarding the incident. The reported information goes to a database, where it may be studied by administrators. Common threads are spotted so others can intervene and break the bully's pattern.<ref>[http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/south/12007792580056/ct-teens-develop-bullying-app-to-protect-peers/ CT teens develop bullying app to protect peers] 7 News; June 2012 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622100810/http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/south/12007792580056/ct-teens-develop-bullying-app-to-protect-peers/ |date=June 22, 2012 }}</ref> "Back Off Bully" is being considered as standard operating procedure at schools across Connecticut, while recent studies carried out among 66 high school teachers have concluded that prevention programs have proved ineffective to date.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1002/pits.21603 | volume=49| issue=4|year=2012|journal=Psychology in the Schools|pages=352–367 | last1 = Stauffer | first1 = Sterling |title = High school teachers' perceptions of cyberbullying prevention and intervention strategies| last2 = Allen Heath | first2 = Melissa | last3 = Marie Coyne | first3 = Sarah | last4 = Ferrin | first4 = Scott| url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3777&context=etd}}</ref>

Teachers can also be cyberbullied by pupils,<ref name=durangoherald20151029/><ref name=RTE2018-11-08a/> as well as by parents and other school staff.<ref name=RTE2018-11-08a/>

=== Protection ===
There are laws that only address online harassment of children or focus on child predators, as well as laws that protect adult cyberstalking victims, or victims of any age. Currently, there are 45 cyberstalking (and related) laws on the books. While some sites specialize in laws that protect victims age 18 and under, Working to Halt Online Abuse is a help resource containing a list of current and pending cyberstalking-related United States federal and state laws.<ref>[http://www.haltabuse.org/resources/laws/index.shtml Current and pending cyberstalking-related United States federal and state laws] WHOA</ref> It also lists those states that do not yet have laws, and related laws from other countries. The Global Cyber Law Database (GCLD) aims to become the most comprehensive and authoritative source of cyber laws for all countries.<ref>[http://www.cyberlawdb.com/main/ The Global Cyber Law Database] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620182226/http://www.cyberlawdb.com/main/ |date=June 20, 2012 }} GCLD</ref>

Several states, including Florida, California,<ref>{{cite web |title=Know Your Student Rights |url=https://www.sandiegounified.org/know-your-student-rights |website=San Diego Unified School District |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> and Missouri have passed laws against cyberbullying. California prohibits the use of an electronic device to cause someone to fear for their life.<ref>{{cite web |title=Penal Code, Sec. 653.2 |url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=653.2 |website=California Legislative Information |publisher=California State Legislature |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> In Florida, the "Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up for All Students Act" prohibits any type of bullying including cyberbullying. In Missouri, anyone who violently threatens someone over social media can be convicted with a Class A misdemeanor, but if the victim is seventeen years or younger, they can be convicted with a Class D felony.<ref>{{cite web |title=Missouri Anti-Bullying Laws & Policies |url=https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/laws/missouri |website=stopbullying.gov |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=September 26, 2017}}</ref>

=== Age ===
Children report negative online behaviors occurring from the second grade. According to research, boys initiate negative online activity earlier than girls. However, by middle school, girls are more likely to engage in cyberbullying than boys.<ref>{{cite news|last1=MacDonald|first1=Gregg|date=September 1, 2010|title=Cyber-bullying defies traditional stereotype: Girls are more likely than boys to engage in this new trend, research suggests|work=Fairfax Times|url=http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2078|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526084157/http://ww2.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2078|archive-date=May 26, 2013}}</ref> Whether the bully is male or female, the purpose of childhood bullying is to intentionally embarrass, harass, intimidate, or make threats online.

Studies on the psycho-social effects of cyberspace have begun to monitor the effects cyberbullying may have on the victims. Consequences of cyberbullying are multi-faceted, and affect both online and offline behavior. Research on adolescents reported that changes in the victims' behavior as a result of cyberbullying could potentially be positive. Victims "created a cognitive pattern of bullies, which consequently helped them to recognize aggressive people."<ref name="cyberpsychology.eu">[http://www.cyberpsychology.eu/view.php?cisloclanku=2011121901&article=4 Cyberbullying in Adolescent Victims: Perception and Coping] Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace</ref>

However, the ''Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace'' abstract reports critical impacts in almost all of the respondents, taking the form of lower self-esteem, loneliness, disillusionment, and distrust of people. The more extreme effects included [[self-harm]]. Children have killed each other and committed [[suicide]] after cyberbullying incidents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html |title=Stop Cyberbullying |publisher=Stop Cyberbullying |date=June 27, 2005 |access-date=October 8, 2013}}</ref> Some cases of digital self-harm have been reported in which an individual engages in cyberbullying against themselves, or purposefully and knowingly exposes themselves to cyberbullying.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Topping|first=Alexandra|title=Cyberbullying on social networks spawning form of self-harm|journal=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/06/cyberbullying-social-networks-self-harm|access-date=August 6, 2013|date=August 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Englander|first=Elizabeth|title=Digital Self-Harm: Frequency, Type, Motivations, and Outcomes|journal=MARC Research Reports|date=June 2012|volume=5|url=http://vc.bridgew.edu/marc_reports/5}}</ref>

=== Adults ===
Cyberstalking may be an extension of physical stalking,<ref name=":6">https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/australian_covert_bullying_prevalence_study_chapter_1.pdf</ref> and may have criminal consequences. A target's understanding of why cyberstalking is happening is helpful to remedy and take protective action. Among factors that motivate stalkers are [[envy]], pathological obsession (professional or sexual), unemployment or failure with own job or life, or the desire to intimidate and cause others to feel inferior. The stalker may be [[delusional]] and believe he/she "knows" the target. The stalker wants to instill fear in a person to justify his/her status, or may  believe they can get away with these actions due to online anonymity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/cyberstalking/3.html |author=Wayne Petherick |title=Cyber-Stalking:Obsessional Pursuit and the Digital Criminal |date=2009 |work=TrueTV |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209045152/http://trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/cyberstalking/3.html |archive-date=February 9, 2009  }}</ref>

The US federal cyberstalking law is designed to prosecute people for using electronic means to repeatedly harass or threaten someone online. There are resources dedicated to helping adult victims deal with cyberbullies legally and effectively. One of the steps recommended is to record everything and contact police.<ref>[http://wiredsafety.org/subjects/cyberbullying.php Cyberbullying] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524084352/https://www.wiredsafety.org/subjects/cyberbullying.php |date=May 24, 2015 }} Stalking and Harassment</ref><ref name=":7">[http://voices.yahoo.com/what-cyberbullies-adults-11081994.html What to Do About Cyberbullies: For Adults] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729033508/http://voices.yahoo.com/what-cyberbullies-adults-11081994.html |date=July 29, 2014 }}, by Rena Sherwood; YAHOO Contributor network</ref>

== Research ==

=== Australia ===
The nationwide Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Survey (Cross et al., 2009)<ref name="ACBPS">[http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NationalSafeSchools/Pages/research.aspx Cross, D., Shaw, T., Hearn, L., Epstein, M., Monks, H., Lester, L., & Thomas, L. 2009. Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study (ACBPS). Child Health Promotion Research Centre, Edith Cowan University, Perth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611013517/http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NationalSafeSchools/Pages/research.aspx |date=June 11, 2012 }}. Deewr.gov.au. Retrieved on July 6, 2011.</ref> assessed cyberbullying experiences among 7,418 students. The results indicated that rates of cyberbullying increased with age, with 4.9% of students in Year 4 reporting cyberbullying compared to 7.9% in year nine. Cross et al., (2009) reported that rates of bullying and harassing others were lower, but also increased with age. Only 1.2% of Year 4 students reported cyberbullying others compared to 5.6% of Year 9 students.

=== China ===
In [[mainland China]], cyberbullying has yet to receive adequate scholarly attention. A study investigating the risk factors of cyberbullying sampled 1,438 high school students from central China. Data  showed that 34.84% had participated in bullying and 56.88% had been bullied online.<!-- (Commenting this out until it's rewritten in a way that makes sense.) Students who spend more time on the internet have themselves experienced traditional bullying as victims will be more likely to experience cyberbullying through different social media in instant-message.--><ref name=":14">Zhou, Zongkui. "Cyberbullying and its risk factors among Chinese high school students". School Psychology International. December 2013 34: 630–647, first published on May 8, 2013.</ref>

A study on cyberbullying in [[Hong Kong]]<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Fung | first1 = Annis L. C. | year = 2010 | title = The Phenomenon Of Cyberbullying: Its Aetiology And Intervention | journal = Journal of Youth Studies | volume = 13 | issue = 2| pages = 31–42 }}</ref> chose 48 out of 7,654 students from elementary school to high school who were classified as potential aggressors related to cyberbullying. 31 out of 48 students declared they barely participated in cyber-attacks. It is common among high school students (28 out of 36 students) to participate in social media platforms; 58% admitted to changing a nickname for others, 56.3% to humiliation, 54.2% to making fun of someone, and 54.2% to spreading rumors. The [[Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups]] interviewed 1,820 teenagers, 17.5% of whom indicated having experienced cyberbullying. This included insults, abuse, and the publishing of personal private pictures on social media without permission.<ref name=":14" />

=== European Union ===
In a study published in 2011, across 25 [[European Union|EU]] member states studied, an average 6% of children (9–16 years old) had been bullied and only 3% of them confessed to having been a bully.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hasebrink|first=U|date=2011|title=Patterns of risk and safety online. In-depth analyses from the EU Kids Online survey of 9- to 16-year-olds and their parents in 25 European countries|url=http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20II%20(2009-11)/EUKidsOnlineIIReports/D5%20Patterns%20of%20risk.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504140537/http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20II%20(2009-11)/EUKidsOnlineIIReports/D5%20Patterns%20of%20risk.pdf|archive-date=May 4, 2012}}</ref> However, in an earlier publication by Hasenbrink et al. (2009), reporting on the results from a meta analysis from European Union countries, the authors estimated (via median results) that approximately 18% of European young people had been "bullied/harassed/stalked" via the internet and mobile phones.<ref name="Hasebrink">Hasebrink, U., Livingstone, S., Haddon, L. and Ólafsson, K.(2009) Comparing children's online opportunities and risks across Europe: Cross-national comparisons for EU Kids Online. LSE, London: EU Kids Online (Deliverable D3.2, 2nd edition), {{ISBN|978-0-85328-406-2}} [http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EUKidsOnline/Reports/D3.2, secondedition.pdf lse.ac.uk]</ref> Cyberharassment rates for young people across the EU member states ranged from 10% to 52%. <!-- (Commenting this sentence out because it doesn't make sense. If you can clarify, please do. Thanks.) The decreasing numbers can caused by developing increasingly specific methods, dividing the tasks into different variables.-->

=== Finland ===
Sourander et al. (2010) conducted a population-based cross-sectional study that took place in [[Finland]]. The authors of this study took the self-reports of 2,215 Finish adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 about cyberbullying and cybervictimization during the previous six months. It was found that, amongst the total sample, 4.8% were victims only, 7.4% were cyberbullies only, and 5.4% were cyberbully-victims.

The authors of this study were able to conclude that cyberbullying, as well as cybervictimization, is associated not only with psychiatric issues, but with psychosomatic issues as well. Many adolescents in the study reported headaches or difficulty sleeping. The authors believe that their results indicate a greater need for new ideas on how to prevent cyberbullying and what to do when it occurs. It is clearly a worldwide problem that needs to be taken seriously.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Sourander, A. |author2=Klomek, A.B. |author3=Ikonen, M. |author4=Lindroos, J. |author5=Luntamo, T. |author6=Koskeiainen, M. |author7=Helenius, H. |title=Psychosocial risk factors associated with cyberbullying among adolescents: A population-based study|year=2010|journal=Archives of General Psychiatry|volume=67|issue=7|pages=720–728|doi=10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.79 |pmid=20603453 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Ireland ===
<!-- (Commenting this out because it was tacked on to a sentence in a way that made no sense. The paragraph appears to be about the study, not this article. If you can use this article as a source, or in a sentence that makes a specific point, please feel free to re-include it in the text. Thanks.)The journal article titled "Exploring traditional and cyberbullying among Irish adolescents" studies by -->The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) pilot survey was carried out in eight post-primary schools across [[Ireland]], including 318 students aged 15–18. 59% were boys and 41% were girls. Participation in this survey was voluntary for students, and consent had to be obtained from parents, students and the school itself. This survey was anonymous and confidential, and it took 40 minutes to complete. It asked questions on traditional forms of bullying, as well as cyberbullying, risk behaviors and self-reported health and [[life satisfaction]].

66% of the students said that they had never been bullied, 14% had been victims of traditional forms of bullying, 10% had been victims of cyberbullying, and the remaining 10% had been victims of both traditional forms of bullying and cyberbullying. Boys mostly said they were victims of traditional forms of bullying, and girls mostly were victims of both traditional forms of bullying and cyberbullying. 20% of the students in this survey said that they had been cyberbullied, showing that cyberbullying is on the rise.<ref>{{Cite journal|last2=Kelly|first2=Colette|last3=Molcho|first3=Michal|year=2014|title=360 Link|journal=International Journal of Public Health|volume=60|issue=2|pages=199–206|doi=10.1007/s00038-014-0638-7|pmid=25540816|last1=Callaghan|first1=Mary|s2cid=5060717}}</ref>

Arrow DIT claims that 23% of 9–16 year olds in Ireland have been bullied online or offline, compared to 19% in Europe.<ref name="O'Neill 2016">{{cite web|url=http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=cserrep|title=Cyberbullying among 9–16 year olds in Ireland|last1=O'Neill|first1=Brian|last2=Dinh|first2=Thuy|date=2016|publisher=Dublin Institute of Technology}}</ref> Although online bullying in Ireland stands at 4% according to Arrow DIT, this is lower than the European average, which stands at 6%, and half that of the UK where 8% reported being cyberbullied.<ref name="O'Neill 2016" /> Traditional forms of bullying in Ireland occur more often than in Europe.

A 2018 study by [[Dublin City University|Dublin City University (DCU)]]'s [[National Anti-Bullying Centre|National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre (ABC)]] found that almost 10% of [[Secondary education|post-primary]] teachers were victims of cyberbullying, and 15% knew of a colleague who had experienced it in the previous 12 months.<ref name=RTE2018-11-08a>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1108/1009482-cyberbullying-teachers/|title=Teachers report high levels of anxiety and stress due to cyberbullying by pupils|publisher=[[RTÉ News]]|access-date=November 8, 2018 |date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> 59% of the bullying was by pupils, mainly on social media, with the rest perpetrated by parents and other school staff.<ref name=RTE2018-11-08a/> Various effects on bullied teachers included increased stress and [[anxiety]], "negative impacts on their working environment, and a reluctance to report the issue and seek help from management".<ref name=RTE2018-11-08a/>

=== Japan ===
According to recent{{when|date=December 2017}} research, in Japan, 17 percent (compared with a 25-country average of 37 percent) of youth between the ages of 8 and 17 have been victims of online bullying. The number shows that online bullying is a serious concern in Japan. Teenagers who spend more than 10 hours a week on the Internet are more likely to become the targets of online bullying, though only 28 percent of the survey participants understood what cyberbullying is. However, they do know the severity of the issue; 63 percent of the surveyed students worried about being targeted as victims of cyberbullying.<ref>Cross-Tab Marketing Services & Telecommunications Research Group for Microsoft Corporation</ref>

Since teenagers find themselves congregating socially on the internet via social media, they become easy targets for cyberbullying. Cyberbullying may occur via email, text, chat rooms, and social media websites. Some cyberbullies set up websites or blogs to post the target's images, publicize their personal information, gossip about the target, express why they hate the target, request people to agree with the bully's view, and send links to the target to make sure they are watching the activity.<ref>Campbell, Marilyn A. (2005). Cyber bullying: An old problem in a new guise?</ref>

Much cyberbullying is an act of [[relational aggression]], which involves alienating the victim from peers through gossip or ostracism.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sugimori Shinkichi |year=2012 |url=http://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00054/|title=Anatomy of Japanese Bullying|work=nippon.com|access-date=January 5, 2015}}</ref> This kind of attack can be easily launched via texting or other online activities. One 19-year-old Japanese student was targeted by classmates who posted his photo online, insulted him constantly, and asked him to die. Because of the constant harassment, he did attempt suicide twice. Even when he quit school, the attacks did not stop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Cyber-bullying-bedevils-Japan/2007/11/12/1194766557213.html|title=Cyber bullying bedevils Japan|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=January 5, 2015|date=November 12, 2007}}</ref>

Cyberbullying can cause serious psychological impact to the victims. They often feel anxious, nervous, tired, and depressed. Other examples of negative psychological trauma include losing confidence as a result of being socially isolated from their schoolmates or friends. Psychological problems can also show up in the form of headaches, skin problems, abdominal pain, sleep problems, bed-wetting, and crying. It may also lead victims to commit suicide to end the bullying.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221857/http://www.psusd.us/CyberBullying-StudentAwareness Cyber Bullying: Student Awareness] Palm Springs Unified School District Retrieved January 5, 2015</ref>

=== United States ===
[[File:Cyberbullying By Year.jpg|thumb|Percentage of victims of cyberbullying by year across the United States<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cyberbullying.org/summary-of-our-cyberbullying-research|title=Summary of Our Cyberbullying Research (2004-2016)|date=July 10, 2019}}</ref>]]

==== 2000 ====
A 2000 survey by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the [[University of New Hampshire]] found that 6% of the young people who completed the survey had experienced some form of harassment, including threats and negative rumors, and 2% had suffered distressing harassment.<ref name=ccrc>Finkelhor, D., Mitchell, K.J., & Wolak, J. (2000). Online victimization: A report on the nation's youth. Alexandria, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.</ref>

==== 2004 ====
The 2004 I-Safe.org survey of 1,500 students between grades 4 and 8 found:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2425023 |title=What Parents Need to Know About Cyberbullying  |date=September 12, 2006 |website=[[ABC News]] Primetime |publisher=ABC News Internet Ventures |access-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref>
* 42% of children had been bullied online. One in four had experienced it more than once.
* 35% had been threatened online. Nearly one in five had experienced it more than once.
* 21% had received mean or threatening e-mails or other messages.
* 58% admitted that someone had said hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten said this had happened more than once.
* 58% had not told their parents or an adult about something hurtful that had happened to them online.

==== 2005 ====
The Youth Internet Safety Survey-2, conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the [[University of New Hampshire]] in 2005, found that 9% of the young people in the survey had experienced some form of harassment.<ref name=ccrc2>Wolak, J., Mitchell, K.J., & Finkelhor, D. (2006). Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later. Alexandria, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.</ref> The survey was a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,500 youth 10–17 years old. One-third reported feeling distressed by the incident, with distress being more likely for younger respondents and those who were the victims of aggressive harassment (including being telephoned, sent gifts, or visited at home by the harasser).<ref name=ybarra>{{cite journal | last1 = Ybarra | first1 = M.L. | last2 = Mitchell | first2 = K.J. | last3 = Wolak | first3 = J. | last4 = Finkelhor | first4 = D. | date = Oct 2006 | title = Examining characteristics and associated distress related to Internet harassment: findings from the Second Youth Internet Safety Survey | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 118 | issue = 4| pages = e1169–77 | doi=10.1542/peds.2006-0815| pmid = 17015505 | s2cid = 10952620 }}</ref> Compared to youth not harassed online, victims are more likely to have social problems. On the other hand, youth who harass others are more likely to have problems with rule breaking and aggression.<ref name=ybarra2>{{cite journal | last1 = Ybarra | first1 = M.L. | last2 = Mitchell | first2 = K.J. | date = Aug 2007 | title = Prevalence and frequency of Internet harassment instigation: implications for adolescent health | journal = J Adolesc Health | volume = 41 | issue = 2| pages = 189–95 | doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.03.005| pmid = 17659224 }}</ref>

Hinduja and Patchin completed a study in the summer of 2005 of approximately 1,500 Internet-using adolescents and found that over one-third of youth reported being victimized online, and over 16% of respondents admitted to cyberbullying others.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistics on Bullying |url=http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/cyber%20bullying/lesson%202/cbms_2_tr1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004224632/http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/cyber%20bullying/lesson%202/cbms_2_tr1.pdf |archive-date=October 4, 2013 }}</ref> While most of the instances of cyberbullying involved relatively minor behavior (41% were disrespected, 19% were called names), over 12% were physically threatened and about 5% were scared for their safety. Notably, fewer than 15% of victims told an adult about the incident.<ref name="patchin1" /> Additional research by Hinduja and Patchin in 2007<ref name="patchin2">Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20071218200237/http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=101357 Offline Consequences of Online Victimization: School Violence and Delinquency.] [[Journal of School Violence]], 6(3), 89–112.</ref> found that youth who report being victims of cyberbullying also experience stress or strain that is related to offline problem behaviors such as running away from home, cheating on a test, skipping school, or using alcohol or marijuana. The authors acknowledge that both of these studies provide only preliminary information about the nature and consequences of online bullying, due to the methodological challenges associated with an online survey.

According to a 2005 survey by the [[Action for Children|National Children's Home]] charity and [[Tesco Mobile]],<ref name=survey>National Children's Home. (2005).[http://www.nch.org.uk/uploads/documents/Mobile_bullying_%20report.pdf Putting U in the picture. Mobile Bullying Survey 2005.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051028120204/http://www.nch.org.uk/uploads/documents/Mobile_bullying_%20report.pdf |date=October 28, 2005 }}(pdf)</ref> of 770 youth between the ages of 11 and 19, 20% of respondents revealed that they had been bullied via electronic means. Almost three-quarters (73%) stated that they knew the bully, while 26% stated that the offender was a stranger. 10% of responders indicated that another person had taken a picture and/or video of them via a [[camera phone|cellular phone camera]], consequently making them feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened. Many youths are not comfortable telling an authority figure about their cyberbullying [[victimization]] for fear their access to technology will be taken from them; while 24% and 14% told a parent or teacher respectively, 28% did not tell anyone, and 41% told a friend.<ref name=survey />

==== 2006 ====
According to the 2006 ''Harris Interactive Cyberbullying Research Report'', commissioned by the National Crime Prevention Council, cyberbullying is a problem that "affects almost half of all American teens".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncpc.org/topics/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-faq-for-teens |title=Cyberbullying FAQ For Teens |date=2015 |website=National Crime Prevention Council |access-date=February 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115195845/http://www.ncpc.org/topics/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-faq-for-teens |archive-date=November 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== 2007 ====
[[File:Youth and Electronic aggression.gif|thumb|Distribution of cyberbullying venues<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hertz|first1=M. F.|url=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ea-brief-a.pdf|title=Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for Educators and Caregivers|last2=David-Ferdon|first2=C.|date=2008|publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control]]|location=Atlanta (GA)|page=9|access-date=February 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422125828/https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ea-brief-a.pdf|archive-date=April 22, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> used by young people in the US, according to the [[Centers for Disease Control]]<ref name="ybarra200710">{{cite journal |last1=Ybarra |first1=Michele L. |last2=Diener-West |first2=Marie |last3=Leaf |first3=Philip J. |date=December 2007 |title=Examining the overlap in internet harassment and school bullying: implications for school intervention |journal=[[Journal of Adolescent Health]] |volume=41 |issue=6 Suppl 1 |pages=S42–S50 |doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.004|pmid=18047944 }}</ref>]]

Studies published in 2007 in the ''[[Journal of Adolescent Health]]'' indicated young people reporting being victims of electronic aggression in a range of 9%<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kowalski |first1=Robin M. |last2=Limber |first2=Susan P. |date=December 2007 |title=Electronic bullying among middle school students |journal=[[Journal of Adolescent Health]] |volume=41 |issue=6 Suppl 1 |pages=S22–S30 |doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.017|pmid=18047942 }}</ref> to 35%.<ref name="ybarra200710" /><ref>{{cite book|last1=Hertz|first1=M. F.|url=https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ea-brief-a.pdf|title=Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for Educators and Caregivers|last2=David-Ferdon|first2=C.|date=2008|publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control]]|location=Atlanta (GA)|page=7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422125828/https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ea-brief-a.pdf|access-date=February 3, 2015|archive-date=April 22, 2009}}</ref>

In 2007, Debbie Heimowitz, a [[Stanford University]] master's student, created ''[[Adina's Deck]]'', a film based on Stanford-accredited research. She worked in focus groups for ten weeks in three schools to learn about the problem of cyberbullying in northern California. The findings determined that over 60% of students had been cyberbullied and were victims of cyberbullying. The film is now being used in classrooms nationwide as it was designed around learning goals pertaining to problems that students had understanding the topic. The middle school of [[Suicide of Megan Meier|Megan Meier]] is reportedly using the film as a solution to the crisis in their town.

==== 2008 ====
In 2008, researchers Sameer Hinduja ([[Florida Atlantic University]]) and Justin Patchin ([[University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire]]) published a book on cyberbullying that summarized the current state of cyberbullying research (''Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying'').<ref name=patchin3>{{cite book | last= Hinduja | first = S. |author2=Patchin, J. W. | title = Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying | publisher=Corwin Press | year = 2009| location = Thousand Oaks, CA | isbn = 978-1-4129-6689-4}}</ref> Their research documented that cyberbullying instances had been increasing over the preceding several years. They also reported findings from a then-recent study of cyberbullying. In a random sample of approximately 2000 middle-school students from a large school district in the southern United States, about 10% of respondents reported being cyberbullied in the previous 30 days while over 17% reported having been cyberbullied at least once in their lifetime.<ref name="patchin3" /> While these rates are slightly lower than some of the findings from their previous research, Hinduja and Patchin pointed out that the earlier studies were predominantly conducted among older adolescents and Internet samples; that is, older youth use the Internet more frequently and are more likely to experience cyberbullying than younger children.<ref name=patchin1>{{cite journal | last1 = Hinduja | first1 = S. | last2 = Patchin | first2 = J. W. | year = 2008 | title = Cyberbullying: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Related to Offending and Victimization | journal = Deviant Behavior | volume = 29 | issue = 2| pages = 129–156 | doi=10.1080/01639620701457816| s2cid = 144024729 }}</ref><ref name="patchin2" /><ref name="patchin">{{cite journal|last2=Hinduja|first2=S.|year=2006|title=Bullies move beyond the schoolyard: A preliminary look at cyberbullying|journal=[[Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice]]|volume=4|issue=2|pages=148–169|doi=10.1177/1541204006286288|last1=Patchin|first1=J. W.|s2cid=145357837}}</ref>

==== 2011 ====
[[File:Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2013 Figure 11.3.gif|thumb|Students aged 12–18 who reported being cyberbullied anywhere during the school year 2011<ref name="crimeindicators">{{cite book|author = Snyder, Thomas D.|author2 = Robers, Simone|author3 = Kemp, Jana|author4 = Rathbun, Amy|author5 = Morgan, Rachel|chapter = Indicator 11: Bullying at School and Cyber-Bullying Anywhere|chapter-url = http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/iscs11.pdf|title = Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013|url = http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2013/index.asp|access-date = February 3, 2015|format = Compendium|id = NCES 2014042|publisher = Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and National Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education Sciences (ies)|date = June 10, 2014}}</ref>]]

According to the 2011 National Crime Victimization Survey, conducted by the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]], [[Bureau of Justice Statistics]], School Crime Supplement (SCS), 9% of students age 12–18 admitted to having experienced cyberbullying during that school year (with a coefficient of variation between 30% and 50%).<ref name="crimeindicators" />

==== 2013 ====
In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2013, the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services of the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] published results of its survey as part of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) in June 2014, indicating the percentage of school children being bullied through e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites, or texting ("electronically bullied") during the course of 2013.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Laura |last1=Kann |first2=Steve |last2=Kinchen |first3=Shari L. |last3=Shanklin |first4=Katherine H. |last4=Flint |first5=Joseph |last5=Hawkins |first6=William A. |last6=Harris |first7=Richard |last7=Lowry |first8=Emily O'Malley |last8=Olsen |first9=Tim |last9=McManus |first10=David |last10=Chyen |first11=Lisa |last11=Whittle |first12=Eboni |last12=Taylor |first13=Zewditu |last13=Demissie |first14=Nancy |last14=Brener |first15=Jemekia |last15=Thornton |first16=John |last16=Moore |first17=Stephanie |last17=Zaza |date=June 13, 2014 |title=Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2013 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6304.pdf |journal=Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |volume=63 |issue=4 |page=66 |pmid=24918634 |access-date=February 16, 2015}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ By race/ethnicity and sex
! Race/ethnicity !! Female !! 95% confidence interval !! Male !! 95% confidence interval !! Total !! 95% confidence interval
|-
! White, non-Hispanic
| 25.2% || 22.6%–28.0% || 8.7% || 7.5%–10.1% || 16.9% || 15.3%–18.7%
|-
! Black, non-Hispanic
| 10.5% || 8.7%–12.6% || 6.9% || 5.2%–9.0% || 8.7% || 7.3%–10.4%
|-
! Hispanic
| 17.1% || 14.5%–20.15 || 8.3% || 6.9%–10.0% || 12.8% || 10.9%–14.9%
|-
! Total
| 21.0% || 19.2%–22.9% || 8.5% || 7.7%–9.5% || 14.8% || 13.7%–15.9%
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ By grade and sex
! Grade !! Female !! 95% confidence interval !! Male !! 95% confidence interval !! Total !! 95% confidence interval
|-
! 9
| 22.8% || 19.5%–26.6% || 9.4% || 7.9%–11.1% || 16.1% || 14.1%–18.2%
|-
! 10
| 21.9% || 18.7%–25.5% || 7.2% || 5.4%–9.6% || 14.5% || 12.6%–16.6%
|-
! 11
| 20.6% || 17.4%–24.3% || 8.9% || 7.3%–10.7% || 14.9% || 13.0%–16.9%
|-
! 12
| 18.3% || 16.3%–20.5% || 8.6% || 7.0%–10.5% || 13.5% || 12.2%–14.9%
|}

==== 2014 ====
In 2014, Mehari, Farrell, and Le published a study that focused on the literature on cyberbullying among adolescents. They found that researchers have generally assumed that cyberbullying is distinct from aggression perpetrated in person. Mehari et al. suggest that the media through which aggression is perpetrated may be best conceptualized as a new classification of aggression, rather than considering cyberbullying as a distinct counterpart to existing forms of aggression. They suggest that future research on cyberbullying be considered within the context of theoretical and empirical knowledge of aggression in adolescence.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/psyc_pubs/15/|title = Cyberbullying among adolescents: Measures in search of a construct|last1 = Mehari|first1 = Krista|date = 2014|journal = Psychology of Violence|doi = 10.1037/a0037521|access-date = March 24, 2015|last2 = Farrell|first2 = Albert|last3 = Le|first3 = Anh-Thuy|volume=4|issue = 4|pages=399–415}}</ref>

Mary Howlett-Brandon's doctoral dissertation analyzed the National Crime Victimization Survey: Student Crime Supplement, 2009, to focus on the cyberbullying victimization of Black and White students in specific conditions.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3470/|title = CYBERBULLYING: AN EXAMINATION OF GENDER, RACE, ETHNICITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS FROM THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY: STUDENT CRIME SUPPLEMENT, 2009|date = 2014|access-date = March 30, 2015|journal = Theses and Dissertations|last = Howlett-Brandon|first = Mary}}</ref>

====2015====
[[WalletHub]]'s 2015's ''Best & Worst States at Controlling Bullying'' report measured the relative levels of bullying in 42 states. According to the report, North Dakota, Illinois, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. have the most attempted suicides by high school students. The five states with highest percentage of students being bullied on campus are Missouri, Michigan, Idaho, North Dakota, and Montana.<ref>{{cite web|title = 2015's Best & Worst States at Controlling Bullying|url = https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-at-controlling-bullying/9920/|website = WalletHub|access-date = November 25, 2015}}</ref>

Cyberbullying on social media has usually been student-to-student, but recently, students have been cyberbullying their teachers. High school students in Colorado created a Twitter site that bullies teachers. This ranges from obscenities to false accusations of inappropriate actions with students.<ref name=durangoherald20151029>{{cite web|title = 9-R students create teacher-bashing tweets|url = http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20151029/NEWS01/151029500/-1/news01&source=RSS|website = The Durango Herald|date=October 29, 2015|access-date = November 25, 2015}}</ref>

=== Gender ===
Research conducted to try to determine differences in cyberbullying patterns comparing male to female and ages of each are relatively inconclusive. There are some factors that lean towards males being more involved in cyberbullying behaviors due to males tending to have more aggressive behaviors than females.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Griezel |first1=Lucy |last2=Finger |first2=Linda R. |last3=Bodkin-Andrews |first3=Gawaian H. |last4=Craven |first4=Rhonda G. |last5=Yeung |first5=Alexander Seeshing |title=Uncovering the Structure of and Gender and Developmental Differences in Cyber Bullying |journal=The Journal of Educational Research |date=September 2012 |volume=105 |issue=6 |pages=442–455 |doi=10.1080/00220671.2011.629692 |s2cid=145680391 }}</ref> This is not proven, but speculated based on literature reviews of research indicating that significant data is self-reported. Comparatively, the review of articles indicates that age differences have some indicators of cyberbullying; increasing age indicates increasing bullying behaviors. Gender differences have mixed results, but one finding indicated that younger females (10 or 11) and older males (13+) tend to engage in cyber bullying behaviors.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barlett |first1=Christopher |last2=Coyne |first2=Sarah M. |title=A meta-analysis of sex differences in cyber-bullying behavior: The moderating role of age: Sex Differences in Cyber-Bullying |journal=Aggressive Behavior |date=September 2014 |volume=40 |issue=5 |pages=474–488 |doi=10.1002/ab.21555 |pmid=25098968 }}</ref>

Cyberbullies mostly have at least one common trait.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Social Devience|last=Marcum|first=Catherine|year=2014|page=165}}</ref> Cyberbullies generally get angry and discouraged easily and usually have strong personalities.<ref name=":9" /> They connect with others belligerently and do not care for the feelings of their victims.<ref name=":9" /> Both males and females engage in cyberbullying.<ref name=":9" /> Females are involved in cyberbullying just as much as men,<ref name=":9" /> and females are sometimes even found more involved in cyberbullying than men are.<ref name=":9" /> The reason behind this is because of the way they respond;<ref name=":9" /> men will usually respond with physical retaliation, while women will use “indirect forms such as gossiping.”<ref name=":9" /> As cyberbullying is a more indirect form, females are more likely to be involved.<ref name=":9" />

Also, women tend to have less face-to-face confrontations than men, and since cyberbullying occurs online, this allows women to have a greater chance to be attacked.<ref name=":9" /> According to a 2017 Pew Research study on online harassment, 14% of Americans have been harassed because of their political views. Such harassment affects men and women differently; men are approximately twice as likely as women to have experienced online harassment because of their political views.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Duggan |first1=Maeve |title=Online Harassment 2017 |url=https://www.pewinternet.org/2017/07/11/online-harassment-2017/ |access-date=March 24, 2019 |work=[[Pew Research Center]] |date=July 11, 2017}}</ref> However, women politicians are disproportionately more likely to be sexually harassed online. Women lawmakers are three times more likely than their male counterparts to receive sexually abusive comments, including threats of rape, beatings, death, or abduction.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lehr |first1=Amy |last2=Bechrakis |first2=Mariefaye |title=Against The Odds: Overcoming Online Harassment of Women in Politics |url=https://www.csis.org/analysis/against-odds-overcoming-online-harassment-women-politics |access-date=March 24, 2019 |work=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]] |date=November 8, 2018}}</ref>

== Legislation ==
{{Main|Cyberstalking legislation}}

=== United States ===
Legislation geared at penalizing cyberbullying has been introduced in a number of U.S. states including New York, Missouri, Rhode Island and Maryland. At least 45 states have passed laws against digital harassment.<ref>{{cite news|last=PÉREZ-PEÑA|first=RICHARD|title=Christie Signs Tougher Law on Bullying in Schools|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/nyregion/07bully.html?_r=0|access-date=January 6, 2011}}</ref> Dardenne Prairie of Springfield, Missouri, passed a city ordinance making online harassment a misdemeanor. The city of St. Charles, Missouri passed a similar ordinance. Missouri is among the states where lawmakers are pursuing state legislation, with task forces expected to have cyberbullying laws drafted and implemented.<ref>[http://www.pantagraph.com/news/bill-targets-adults-who-cyberbully/article_6ade6d44-a162-54d1-9be0-88bebf181f6d.html Bill targets adults who cyberbully] Pantagraph, by Kevin Mcdermott, December 20, 2007</ref> In June 2008, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) proposed a federal law that would criminalize acts of cyberbullying.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090730051248/http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9962375-7.html A rallying cry against cyberbullying]. CNET News, by Stefanie Olsen, June 7, 2008</ref>

Lawmakers are seeking to address cyberbullying with new legislation because there is currently no specific law on the books that deals with it. A fairly new federal cyberstalking law might address such acts, according to [[Parry Aftab]], but no one has been prosecuted under it yet. The proposed federal law would make it illegal to use electronic means to "coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress."

In August 2008, the California state legislature passed one of the first laws in the country to deal directly with cyberbullying. Assembly Bill 86 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fbusd.us/vnews/display.v/ART/4cd41cda558da%3C|title=Fort Bragg USD|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113152021/http://www.fbusd.us/vnews/display.v/ART/4cd41cda558da%3C|archive-date=January 13, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> gives school administrators the authority to discipline students for bullying, offline or online.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centerdigitaled.com/edtech/Education-Legislation-Cyber-Bullying.html |title=Education Legislation: Cyber-Bullying |publisher=Centerdigitaled.com |date=March 16, 2009 |access-date=June 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215110941/http://www.centerdigitaled.com/edtech/Education-Legislation-Cyber-Bullying.html |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This law took effect on January 1, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123103067.html|title=States Passing Laws to Combat Cyber-Bullying&nbsp;— washingtonpost.com|work=The Washington Post |access-date=January 2, 2009|last=Surdin|first=Ashley | date=January 1, 2009}}</ref>

A law in New York's Albany County that criminalized cyberbullying was struck down as unconstitutional by the [[New York Court of Appeals]] in ''[[People v. Marquan M.]]''

A recent{{when|date=December 2017}} ruling first seen in the UK determined that it is possible for an [[Internet service provider]] (ISP) to be liable for the content of the sites it hosts, setting a precedent that any ISP should treat a notice of complaint seriously and investigate it immediately.<ref>[http://www.out-law.com/page-5624 International IT and e-commerce legal info]. Out-law.com. Retrieved on July 6, 2011.</ref>

{{uscsub|18|875|c}} criminalizes the making of threats via the Internet.

While some states have laws that require schools to mediate cyberbullying conflicts, several states have been sued on First Amendment grounds for doing so. By examining the decisions of three such lawsuits heard in lower courts, Alvin J. Primack and Kevin A. Johnson argued that current First Amendment doctrine, particularly the case of ''Morse v. Frederick'' (2007), may offer interpretive resources for justifying administrative reach to some online digital speech. They concluded, "[w]ithout clearer standards, school administrators are likely to feel constrained and err on the side of inaction."<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Primack|first1=Alvin J.|last2=Johnson|first2=Kevin A.|date=Spring 2017|title=Student cyberbullying inside the digital schoolhouse gate: Toward a standard for determining where a "School" is|journal=First Amendment Studies|volume=51|issue=1|pages=30–48|doi=10.1080/21689725.2016.1278177|s2cid=151924347}}</ref>

=== European Union ===

Since the 1990s, the United Kingdom and other European countries have been working to solve [[workplace bullying]] since there is no legislation regulating cyberbullying. The pervasive nature of technology has made the act of bullying online much easier.<ref name=european-perspective>{{cite web|title=Bullying, Harassment and Stress in the Workplace — A European Perspective|url=http://www.internationallaborlaw.com/files/2013/01/Bullying-Harassment-and-Stress-in-the-workplace-A-European-Perspective.pdf|publisher=  Proskauer|access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> A 24-hour internet connection gives bullies a neverending opportunity to find and bully victims. Employers in the European Union have more legal responsibility to their employees than do those in other countries. Since employers do not have the ability to fire or hire an employee at will like in the United States, employers in Europe are held to a high standard in how their employees are treated.

In 2007, the European Union developed the Framework Agreement on Harassment and Violence at Work, a law that prevents bullying occurring in the workplace and holds employers accountable for providing fair working conditions.<ref name=european-perspective /> The law defines the responsibilities of an employer such as protecting his or her employees from bullies in a work environment and the psychological pain a victim faces from bullies during business hours. Lawyers pursuing cyberbullying cases use the Ordinance on Victimization at Work law, since there are not any laws specifically condemning cyberbullying.<ref name=european-perspective />

In 1993, Sweden was the first European Union country to have a law against cyberbullying. The Ordinance on Victimization at Work protected victims from "recurrent reprehensible or distinctly negative actions which are directed which are directed against individual employees in an offensive manner and can result in those employees being placed outside the workplace community".<ref name=european-perspective />

In 2002, France passed the Social Modernization Law, which added consequences to the French Labor Code for cyberbullying such as holding employers accountable for their involvement in harassment.<ref name="Viola Lloyd">{{cite web | url=https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/diversity_and_equality/french-law-prohibiting-bullying-in-the-workplace/ | title=FRENCH LAW PROHIBITING BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE |date=November 15, 2013 |access-date=December 17, 2018 | author= Viola Lloyd}}</ref> The legislation defines "moral harassment" as "repeated acts leading to a
deterioration of the working conditions and that are likely to harm the dignity, the physical or psychological heath of the victim or his professional career."<ref name=european-perspective />

The United Kingdom does not have anti-bullying legislation. However, it does have the Protection From Harassment Act, an anti-stalking law.<ref name=european-perspective /> U.K. courts have used this legislation in bullying cases.

[[File:Take A Stand Against Cyberbullying.png|thumb|This image portrays the support and awareness that many anti-cyberbullying campaigns have in some countries around the world.]]
The United States and some other countries have more extensive legislation on cyberbullying than the European Union. Cyberbullying incidents on social media are widespread and have increased drastically in number.<ref name=european-perspective /> However, the process of getting a claim against a bully is not an easy one because of the victim's need to provide sufficient evidence to prove the existence of bullying.

As of mid-2015, countries in the European Union like the United Kingdom are in the process of creating laws specially related to cyberbullying. Since the process takes time, the government is supporting school programs to promote internet safety with the help of teachers and parents.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statutory guidance – Keeping children safe in education|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref> This will allow the government to take the time it needs to create the cyberbullying laws while helping safeguard students from cyberbullying as much as possible.<ref>{{cite web|title=New guidelines to help industry promote internet safety|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidelines-to-help-industry-promote-internet-safety|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Department for Education & Tim Loughton|access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref>

=== Research on preventive legislation ===
{{Original research section|date=May 2018}}

Researchers suggest that programs be put in place for prevention of cyberbullying. These programs would be incorporated into school curricula and would include online safety and instruction on how to use the Internet properly.<ref name= von>{{cite journal | last1 = Von Marees | first1 = N. | last2 = Petermann | first2 = F. | year = 2012 | title = Cyberbullying: An increasing challenge for schools | journal = School Psychology International | volume = 33 | issue = 5| page = 476 }}</ref> This could teach the victim proper methods of potentially avoiding the cyberbully, such as blocking messages or increasing the security of their computer.<ref name= von />

Even in a perfect world, no crime can be stopped fully. That is why it is suggested that within this prevention method, effective coping strategies should be introduced and adopted.<ref name=":11" /> People can adopt coping strategies to combat future cyberbullying. Coping strategies may include social support groups composed of victims of cyberbullying,<ref name= von /> which could allow students to share their stories, and remove the feeling of being alone.

Teachers should be involved in all prevention educational models, as they are essentially the "police" of the classroom.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=International Human and Private Rights Protection Association|url=http://ihprpa.org/bullying.php|website=ihprpa.org|access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref> Most cyberbullying often goes unreported as the victim feels nothing can be done to help in their current situation.<ref name= von /> However, if given the proper tools with preventive measures and more power in the classroom, teachers can be of assistance; if the parent, teacher, and victim can work together, solutions may be found.<ref name= von />

There have been many legislative attempts to facilitate the control of bullying and cyberbullying. Some existing legislation is incorrectly thought to be tied to bullying and cyberbullying (including terms such as "[[libel]]" and "[[slander]]").<ref name=":11" /> The problem is that the existing legislation does not directly apply to bullying, nor define it as its own criminal behavior.<ref>Smyth, S. M. (2010). Cybercrime in Canadian criminal law. (pp. 105–122). Toronto, ON: Carswell.</ref> Anti-cyberbullying advocates have even expressed concern about the broad scope of some of the bills attempted to be passed.<ref name= walt>{{cite journal | last1 = Walther | first1 = B | year = 2012 | title = Cyberbullying: Holding grownups liable for negligent entrustment | journal = Houston Law Review | volume = 49 | issue = 2| pages = 531–562 }}</ref>

In the United States, attempts have been made to pass legislation against cyberbullying. Few states attempted to pass broad sanctions in an effort to prohibit cyberbullying. Problems include how to define cyberbullying and cyberstalking, and, if charges are pressed, whether this violates the bully's freedom of speech.<ref name= walt /> B. Walther said that "Illinois is the only state to criminalize 'electronic communication(s) sent for the purpose of harassing another person' when the activity takes place outside a public school setting." This was criticized for infringement on freedom of speech.<ref name= walt />

Preventing a child from being cyberbullied is hard, but now they are working to form programs and laws to help stop the issue from getting worse than it already is. They have created movies such as ''[[Cyberbully (2011 film)|Cyberbully]]'' by Charles Biname and ''[[The DUFF|The Duff]]'' by Ari Sandel for teenagers to watch and see how cyberbullying can affect an individual. Children that are victims of this problem feel they can not go to an adult for help because they may feel embarrassed by the situation.<ref name=":10" /> Bullying online will not only hurt the teenager emotionally, but there is also a risk of the child hurting themselves physically as well; in 2017, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death among persons in the United States.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml|title=NIMH » Suicide|website=www.nimh.nih.gov|access-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref>

Being able to tell if a child is being hurt from this issue can be tough, but there are certain things that a child will do that should give a red flag that they are being bullied.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Helping Kids Deal With Bullies (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth|url=https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/bullies.html|website=kidshealth.org|access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref> A cyberbully could have said nasty words to that child and the victim could be looking for compliments. If the victim is always online wondering when the bully will strike next that could also be a sign. Being an active parent in their children's lives will make a difference on whether their child is experiencing online bullying or not.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Oostdam |first1=Ron |last2=Hooge |first2=Edith |title=Making the difference with active parenting; forming educational partnerships between parents and schools |journal=European Journal of Psychology of Education |date=June 2013 |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=337–351 |doi=10.1007/s10212-012-0117-6 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Also bringing police involved in the case will be a problem solver too.

== Harmful effects ==
Research has demonstrated a number of serious consequences of cyberbullying victimization.<ref name="patchin1" /><ref name="patchin2" /><ref name="patchin3" /><ref name="patchin" /> Victims may have lower self-esteem, increased suicidal ideation, and a variety of emotional responses, including being scared, frustrated, angry, and depressed.<ref name="patchin3" /> Cyberbullying may be more harmful than traditional bullying, because there is no escaping it.<ref name=":8">{{cite web|url=http://demetrioskritikos.com/cyber-bullying/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=November 25, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813032718/http://demetrioskritikos.com/cyber-bullying/ |archive-date=August 13, 2015 }}</ref> One of the most damaging effects is that a victim begins to avoid friends and activities, which is often the very intention of the bully.

Cyberbullying campaigns are sometimes so damaging that victims have committed suicide. There are at least four examples in the United States in which cyberbullying has been linked to the suicide of a teenager.<ref name="patchin3" /> The [[suicide of Megan Meier]] is an example that led to the conviction of the adult perpetrator of the attacks. Holly Grogan committed suicide by jumping off a 30-foot bridge near Gloucester in the UK. It was reported that a number of her schoolmates had posted a number of hateful messages on her Facebook page.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=High school teachers' perceptions of cyberbullying prevention and intervention strategies|journal=Psychology in the Schools|volume=49|issue=4|page=352|doi=10.1002/pits.21603|year=2012|last1=Stauffer|first1=Sterling|last2=Heath|first2=Melissa Allen|last3=Coyne|first3=Sarah Marie|last4=Ferrin|first4=Scott|url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3777&context=etd}}</ref>

According to Lucie Russell, director of campaigns, policy and participation at youth mental health charity Young Minds, young people who suffer from [[mental disorder]]s are vulnerable to cyberbullying as they are sometimes unable to shrug it off:

<blockquote>When someone says nasty things healthy people can filter that out, they're able to put a block between that and their self-esteem. But mentally unwell people don't have the strength and the self-esteem to do that, to separate it, and so it gets compiled with everything else. To them, it becomes the absolute truth – there's no filter, there's no block. That person will take that on, take it as fact.<ref name="Guardian8813">{{cite news|title = Cyberbullying websites should be boycotted, says Cameron: Prime minister calls for website operators to 'step up to the plate', following death of 14-year-old Hannah Smith|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 8 August 2013|author = Alexandra Topping|author2 = Ellen Coyne and agencies}}</ref></blockquote>

Social media has allowed bullies to disconnect from the impact they may be having on others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carlyleobserver.com/article/20120427/CARLYLE0101/304279977/-1/carlyle/cyber-bullying-and-popular-culture|title=Cyber-bullying and popular culture|author=Kelly Running|work=Carlyle Observer|access-date=January 5, 2015}}</ref>

=== Intimidation, emotional damage, and suicide ===
According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, "there have been several high‐profile cases involving teenagers taking their own lives in part because of being harassed and mistreated over the Internet, a phenomenon we have termed cyberbullicide – suicide indirectly or directly influenced by experiences with online aggression."

Cyberbullying is an intense form of psychological abuse, whose victims are more than twice as likely to suffer from mental disorders compared to traditional bullying.<ref name="cyberthreat">{{cite journal | journal=[[Ideas and Discoveries (magazine)|Ideas and Discoveries]] |title=Cyberthreat: How to protect yourself from online bullying | year=2011 | page=76}}</ref>

The reluctance youth have in telling an authority figure about instances of cyberbullying has led to fatal outcomes. At least three children between the ages of 12 and 13 have committed suicide due to depression brought on by cyberbullying, according to reports by ''USA Today'' and the ''Baltimore Examiner''. These include the [[suicide of Ryan Halligan]] and the [[suicide of Megan Meier]], the latter of which resulted in ''[[United States v. Lori Drew]]''. Teen suicides tied to cyberbullying have recently become more prevalent. Rebecca Ann Sedwick committed suicide after being terrorized through mobile applications such as [[Ask.fm]], [[Kik Messenger]] and [[Voxer]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Alvarez|first=Lizette|title=Girl's Suicide Points to Rise in Apps Used by Cyberbullies|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/14/us/suicide-of-girl-after-bullying-raises-worries-on-web-sites.html?_r=0|access-date=November 20, 2013}}</ref>

=== On youth and teenagers ===
The effects of cyberbullying vary, but research illustrates that cyberbullying adversely affects youth to a higher degree than adolescents and adults. Youth are more likely to suffer since they are still growing mentally and physically.<ref name="Effects of Bullying">{{cite web|title=Effects of Bullying|url=http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/|website=StopBullying.gov|publisher=U.S. Department of Health & Human Services|access-date=November 18, 2015|date=February 29, 2012 }}</ref> Jennifer N. Caudle, a certified family physician, says, "Kids that are bullied are likely to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness and poor sleep".<ref>{{cite web|title=Cyber-Bullying and its Effect on our Youth|url=http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/cyber-bullying.aspx|website=American Osteopathic Association|publisher=American Osteopathic Association|access-date=November 21, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Against Cyberbullying.png|thumb|This image shows different aspects of cyberbullying that can take place on the internet which puts more emotional strain on the younger children and teenage who experience cyberbullying.]]

Most of the time cyberbullying goes unnoticed; the younger generation hides their bullying from anyone that can help to prevent the bullying from occurring and from getting worse. Between 20% and 40% of adolescents are victims of cyberbullying worldwide.<ref name="Effects of Bullying" /><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal|last1=Deniz|first1=Metin|title=A Study on Primary School Students' Being Cyber Bullies and Victims According to Gender, Grade, and Socioeconomic Status|journal=Croatian Journal of Education|date=July 7, 2015|volume=17|issue=3|pages=659–680|doi=10.15516/cje.v17i3.835}}</ref> The youth slowly change their behaviors and actions so they become more withdrawn and quiet, but this may go unnoticed since the change is subtle.<ref name="Effects of Bullying" /><ref name="ReferenceA" /> Metin Deniz believes cyberbullying will "become a serious problem in the future with an increase in the Internet and mobile phone usage among young people".<ref name="ReferenceA" />

If preventive actions are not taken against cyberbullying, younger children in addition to teenagers will feel more lonely and depressed along with having significant changes in their eating and sleeping patterns as well as loss of interest in their normal activities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nixon |first1=Charisse |title=Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health |journal=Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics |date=August 2014 |volume=5 |pages=143–58 |doi=10.2147/AHMT.S36456 |pmid=25177157 |pmc=4126576 }}</ref> These changes will affect their growth and development into adulthood.<ref name="Effects of Bullying" /><ref name="ReferenceA" /> Younger children and teenagers are 76.2% less likely to display suicidal behaviors and thoughts, but are still at risk depending on other factors such as mental health status, home care, and relationships with others.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The risk of suicide increases by 35% to 45% when victims do not have any support from anyone in their life, and cyberbullying amplifies the situation.<ref name="Effects of Bullying" />

Young people seem particularly vulnerable to the effects of cyberbullying through [[anonymous social media]], perhaps because adolescents are attracted to these platforms as a means of seeking validation from their peers.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Odd Girl Out|last=Simmons|first=Rachel|publisher=Mariner Books|year=2011}}</ref> Abuse on these platforms, such as [[ASKfm]], [[Yik Yak]] and [[Sarahah]], can be particularly keenly felt by young people, leading to issues of loss of confidence.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Binns|first=Amy|date=2013|title=Facebook's Ugly Sisters: Anonymity and abuse on Formspring and Ask.fm|url=http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/8378/|journal=Media Education Research Journal|volume=4 | issue = 1 |page=27}}</ref> There have been a number of suicides related to bullying on these platforms in the US<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/family-friends-shocked-at-cyberposts-after-teen-s-death-1.1827393|title=Family and Friends shocked at cyberposts after teen's death|last=Polsky|first=Carol|date=March 23, 2010|website=Newsday}}</ref> and Britain.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/8653867/Teenager-in-rail-suicide-was-sent-abusive-message-on-social-networking-site.html|title=Teenager in rail suicide was sent abusive message on social networking site|date=July 22, 2011|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>

===Suppression of speech===

By at least 2018, some doctors have been targets of online harassment from [[anti-vaccine]] activists responding to their social media posts, including hundreds of negative false reviews on doctor ratings sites. This made some of the doctors more reluctant to share information about vaccines, but others formed groups to spread factual information about vaccine safety on social media in response.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/11/vaccine-opponents-target-doctors-social-media-and-ratings-websites/Y8RQie1xJdr1RtKvbdR9mI/story.html|title=This doctor posted online in favor of immunization. Then vaccine opponents targeted her - The Boston Globe|website=BostonGlobe.com}}</ref>

== Awareness ==

=== Campaigns ===

==== International ====
The [[The Cybersmile Foundation|Cybersmile Foundation]] is a cyberbullying charity committed to tackling all forms of [[online bullying]], abuse, and hate campaigns. It was founded in 2010 in response to the increasing number of cyberbullying related incidents of [[depression (mood)|depression]], [[eating disorder]]s, social isolation, [[self-harm]] and suicides devastating lives around the world. Cybersmile provides support to victims and their friends and families through social media interaction, email and helpline support. They also run an annual event, [[Stop Cyberbullying Day]], to draw attention to the issue.

==== Spain ====
Multiple non-profit organizations fight cyberbullying and cyberstalking. They advise victims, provide awareness campaigns, and report offenses to the police. These NGOs include the ''Protégeles'', ''PantallasAmigas'', ''[[Foundation Alia2]]'', the non-profit initiative ''Actúa Contra el Ciberacoso'', the National Communications Technology Institute (INTECO), the Agency of Internet quality, the ''Agencia Española de Protección de Datos'', the ''Oficina de Seguridad del Internauta'', the Spanish Internet users' Association, the Internauts' Association, and the Spanish Association of Mothers and Parents Internauts. The government of [[Castile and León]] has also created a ''Plan de Prevención del Ciberacoso y Promoción de la Navegación Segura en Centro Escolares'', and the government of the [[Canary Islands]] has created a portal on the phenomenon called ''Viveinternet''.

==== United States ====
In March 2007, the Advertising Council in the United States, in partnership with the [[National Crime Prevention Council]], U.S. Department of Justice, and Crime Prevention Coalition of America, joined to announce the launch of a new [[public service advertising]] campaign designed to educate preteens and teens about how they can play a role in ending cyberbullying.

As of 2008, the [[Boy Scouts of America]]'s 2008 edition of ''[[Boy Scout Handbook|The Boy Scout Handbook]]'' addresses how to deal with online bullying. A new [[Ranks in the Boy Scouts of America#First Class|First Class]] rank requirements adds: "Describe the three things you should avoid doing related to use of the Internet. Describe a cyberbully and how you should respond to one."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/changes/bsrank4-08.asp|publisher=US Scout Service Project|title=First Class Rank Requirements|access-date=August 5, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22576610/ns/health-childrens_health/t/always-be-prepared-battle-bullies/#.VlVoUcovPO0|work = NBC News|title = Always be prepared to battle bullies|date = January 9, 2008}}</ref>

In 2008, [[KTTV]] Fox 11 News in Los Angeles put out a report about organized cyberbullying on sites like [[Stickam]] by people who call themselves "[[Anonymous (group)|/b/rothas]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Leelila Strogov – Fox 11 LA – Cyber Bullies|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai09cWlyPrQ|website=[[YouTube]]|publisher=Fox 11}}</ref> The site had put out a report on July 26, 2007, about a subject that partly featured cyberbullying, titled "Hackers on Steroids".<ref>{{cite web|title=FOX 11 Investigates: 'Anonymous'|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNO6G4ApJQY|website=[[YouTube]]|publisher=Fox Television Stations, Inc.}}</ref>

On June 2, 2008, parents, teens, teachers, and Internet executives came together at Wired Safety's International Stop Cyberbullying Conference, a two-day gathering in White Plains, New York and New York City. Executives from Facebook, [[Verizon]], MySpace, [[Microsoft]], and many others talked with hundreds about how to better protect themselves and their personal reputations, children and businesses from online harassment. Sponsors of the conference included [[McAfee]], [[AOL]], [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Procter & Gamble]], [[Girl Scouts of the USA]], WiredTrust, Children's Safety Research and Innovation Centre, and KidZui.com. Cyberharassment versus cyberbullying was a forefront topic, where age makes a difference; abusive internet behavior by adults with the repeated clear intent to harm, ridicule or damage a person or business was classified as [[stalking]] harassment, versus bullying by teens and young adults.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Skylar|date=October 26, 2009|title=2 dead after head-on collision with CSUF student|url=http://www.dailytitan.com/2009/10/cal-state-fullerton-student-causes-crash/comment-page-46/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125191052/http://www.dailytitan.com/2009/10/cal-state-fullerton-student-causes-crash/comment-page-46/|archive-date=November 25, 2015|access-date=June 5, 2016|publisher=Dailytitan.com}}</ref>

An organized movement to make [[revenge porn]] illegal began in August 2012: End Revenge Porn.<ref name="endrevengeporn.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cybercivilrights.org/|title=Cyber Civil Rights Initiative}}</ref> Currently revenge porn is only illegal in two states, but the demand for its criminalization is on the rise as digital technology has increased in the past few generations. The organization seeks to provide support for victims, educate the public, and gain activist support to bring new legislation before the United States Government.<ref name="endrevengeporn.org" />

In 2006, PACER.org created a week-long event that was held once a year in October. Today, the campaign is a month-long event and is now known as the National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.<ref>[http://www.stopbullying.gov/blog/2015/10/05/october-national-bullying-prevention-awareness-month Hertzog, J. (2015, October 5). October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from stopbullying.gov]</ref>

==== Canada ====
Originating in Canada, [[Anti-Bullying Day]] is a day of celebration for those who choose to participate wearing a symbol of colors (pink, blue or purple) as a stance against bullying. A British Columbia teacher founded the Stop A Bully movement, which uses pink wristbands to represent the wearer's stance to stop bullying.

Pink Shirt Day was inspired by David Shepherd and Travis Price. Their high school friends organized a protest in sympathy for a Grade 9 boy who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Their stance from wearing pink has been a huge inspiration in the Great Vancouver Mainland. "We know that victims of bullying, witnesses of bullying and bullies themselves all experience the very real and long term negative impacts of bullying regardless of its forms – physical, verbal, written, or on-line (cyberbullying)".{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}}

ERASE (Expect Respect and A Safe Education) is an initiative started by the province of British Columbia to foster safe schools and prevent bullying. It builds on already-effective programs set up by the provincial government to ensure consistent policies and practices regarding the prevention of bullying.

=== Community support ===
A number of organizations are in coalition to provide awareness, protection and recourse for this escalating problem. Some aim to inform and provide measures to avoid as well as effectively terminate cyberbullying and cyberharassment. Anti-bullying charity [[Act Against Bullying]] launched the CyberKind campaign in August 2009 to promote positive internet usage.

In 2007, YouTube introduced the first Anti-Bullying Channel for youth (BeatBullying), using the assistance of celebrities to tackle the problem.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7098978.stm YouTube tackles bullying online] BBC News, November 19, 2007</ref>

In March 2010, a 17-year-old girl named Alexis Skye Pilkington was found dead in her room by her parents. Her parents claimed that after repeated cyberbullying, she was driven to suicide. Shortly after her death, attacks resumed. Members of [[eBaums World]] began to [[Troll (Internet)|troll]] teens' memorial pages on [[Facebook]], with the comments including expressions of pleasure over the death, with pictures of what seemed to be a banana as their profile pictures. Family and friends of the deceased teen responded by creating Facebook groups denouncing cyberbullying and trolling, with logos of bananas behind a red circle with a diagonal line through it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Salazar|first=Cristian|title=Alexis Pilkington Facebook Horror: Cyber Bullies Harass Teen Even After Suicide|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/alexis-pilkington-faceboo_n_512482.html|access-date=October 22, 2012|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=May 24, 2010}}</ref>

In response and partnership to the 2011 film ''[[Bully (2011 film)|Bully]]'', a grassroots effort to stop cyberbullying called the Bully Project was created. Their goal is to start "a national movement to stop bullying that is transforming children's lives and changing a culture of bullying into one of empathy and action."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebullyproject.com/|title=The BULLY Project|website=The BULLY Project}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Best Enemies]]
* [[Character assassination]]
* [[Cyber defamation law]]
* [[Dogpiling (Internet)|Dogpiling]]
* [[Digital safety]]
* [[Digital media use and mental health]]
* [[Gamergate controversy]]
* [[Jessi Slaughter cyberbullying case]]
* [[Mobbing]]
* [[Online shaming]]
* [[Sexting]]
* [[Whataboutism]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal | last1 = Berson | first1 = I. R. | last2 = Berson | first2 = M. J. | last3 = Ferron | first3 = J. M. | year = 2002 | title = Emerging risks of violence in the digital age: Lessons for educators from an online study of adolescent girls in the United States | journal = [[Journal of School Violence]] | volume = 1 | issue = 2| pages = 51–71 | doi=10.1300/j202v01n02_04| s2cid = 144349494 }}
* Burgess-Proctor, A., Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2009). Cyberbullying and online harassment: Reconceptualizing the victimization of adolescent girls. In V. Garcia and J. Clifford [Eds.]. ''Female crime victims: Reality reconsidered''. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. In Print.
* Keith, S. & Martin, M. E. (2005). ''Cyber-bullying: Creating a Culture of Respect in a Cyber World. Reclaiming Children & Youth'', 13(4), 224–228.
* {{cite journal | last1 = Hinduja | first1 = S. | last2 = Patchin | first2 = J. W. | year = 2007 | title = Offline Consequences of Online Victimization: School Violence and Delinquency | journal = [[Journal of School Violence]] | volume = 6 | issue = 3| pages = 89–112 | doi=10.1300/j202v06n03_06| s2cid = 143016237 }}
* {{cite journal | last1 = Hinduja | first1 = S. | last2 = Patchin | first2 = J. W. | year = 2008 | title = Cyberbullying: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Related to Offending and Victimization | journal = Deviant Behavior | volume = 29 | issue = 2| pages = 129–156 | doi=10.1080/01639620701457816| s2cid = 144024729 }}
* Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2009). ''Bullying beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying''. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
* Patchin, J. & Hinduja, S. (2006). Bullies Move beyond the Schoolyard: A Preliminary Look at Cyberbullying. ''Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice', 4(2), 148–169.
* Tettegah, S. Y., Betout, D., & Taylor, K. R. (2006). Cyber-bullying and schools in an electronic era. In S. Tettegah & R. Hunter (Eds.) Technology and Education: Issues in administration, policy and applications in k12 school. PP. 17–28. London: Elsevier.
* Wolak, J. Mitchell, K.J., & Finkelhor, D. (2006). ''Online victimization of youth: 5 years later''. Alexandria, VA: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Available at [http://www.unh.edu/ccrc unh.edu]
* {{cite journal | last1 = Ybarra | first1 = M. L. | last2 = Mitchell | first2 = J. K. | year = 2004 | title = Online aggressor/targets, aggressors and targets: A comparison of associated youth characteristics | journal = Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry | volume = 45 | issue = 7| pages = 1308–1316 | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00328.x| pmid = 15335350 }}
* Ybarra ML (2004). Linkages between depressive symptomatology and Internet harassment among young regular Internet users. ''Cyberpsychol and Behavior''. Apr;7(2):247-57.
* Ybarra ML, Mitchell KJ (2004). Youth engaging in online harassment: associations with caregiver-child relationships, Internet use, and personal characteristics. ''Journal of Adolescence''. Jun;27(3):319-36.
* Frederick S. Lane (Chicago: NTI Upstream, 2011)

== External links ==
{{Library resources box
|by=no
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|others=yes
|lcheading=Cyberbullying}}
{{Commons category|Cyberbullying}}
{{Wiktionary|cyberbully}}
* [http://www.cyberbullying.us/ Cyberbullying Research Center]
* [http://www.stopbullying.gov/topics/cyberbullying/ Cyberbullying] at Stopbullying.gov
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100821230808/http://site.ebrary.com/lib/cyberbullying/home.action Cyberbullying Searchable Information Center], [[ebrary]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050949/http://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/ Cyberbullying.org.nz] – cyberbullying information, support, and teaching resources from the New Zealand non-profit [[netsafe|NetSafe]], including the short film [https://web.archive.org/web/20120426051133/http://www.cyberbullying.org.nz/at-a-distance-film/ ''At a Distance'']
* [http://cyberhelp.eu/en Cyberhelp.eu] – practical advice for teachers and guardians
* [http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/cyberbullying_teenagers.html Cyberbullying in Australia] – resource for teenagers
* [http://www.commonsensemedia.org/cyberbullying Cyberbullying] – Cyberbullying, Haters, and Trolls
* [http://mediasmarts.ca/cyberbullying%20 Media Smarts – Cyberbullying]

{{abuse}}
{{Bullying}}
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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cyberbullying| ]]
[[Category:Abuse]]
[[Category:Bullying]]
[[Category:Cybercrime]]
[[Category:Digital media use and mental health]]