Mean Girls on Twitter and Other Social Networks

"Don't Stand By, Stand Up"

“Cyber bullying” is defined as a young person tormenting, threatening, harassing, or embarrassing another young person using the Internet or other technologies, like cell phones. The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber bullying are similar to those of real-life bullying. The difference is, real-life bullying often ends when school ends. For cyber bullying, there is no escape. And, it’s getting worse. Read on to get the facts.

1. Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once.

2. 70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online.

3. Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying.

4. 68% of teens agree that cyber bullying is a serious problem.

5. 81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.

6. 90% of teens who have seen social-media bullying say they have ignored it. 84% have seen others tell cyber bullies to stop.

7. Only 1 in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse.

8. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying.

9. About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out 10 say it has happened more than once.

10. Bullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide.

11. About 75% of students admit they have visited a website bashing another student.

Why it happens:

1. Empathetic Disconnect: 
This describes the inability to sense the emotions and feelings 
associated with the receipt of a message. In traditional 
bullying, an aggressor immediately sees the hurt they have 
caused the target. The lack of immediate emotional feedback 
in cyberbullying allows an aggressor to often continue the 
hurtful behaviors unchecked. Also, due to the ability to 
maintain anonymity on the Internet, an aggressor and target 
may never know each other or interact face-to-face. 

Why it's so hurtful:

2. The Infinite Bystander Effect: 
In a traditional bullying situation, the number of bystanders is 
limited to whoever is present at the time of the incident. With 
cyberbullying, the aggression remains present online and can 
be viewed by anyone with access to the web.