15 Cyberbullying Facts And Statistics For 2023: On Social Media & Beyond

Cyberbullying takes place online and is a form of violence, often against kids. It can cause lasting damage to victims, and should not be tolerated by anyone. It’s important to speak to children about cyberbullying and provide them a safe space to discuss any concerns openly.

15 Cyberbullying Statistics For 2022

Below are several shocking stats on cyberbullying. All data that has been noted with a 1 is based on a nationally-representative sample of 2,546 U.S. middle and high school students (ages 13-17) between April and May of 2021. Cyberbullying has increased dramatically since 2019, due mostly to the rise in online usage for teens during the global pandemic.

1. Cyberbullying is most common among adolescents and teens
2. In 2021, adolescent girls were more likely to have experienced cyberbullying compared to adolescent boys (51% vs. 38%)¹
3. In 2021, girls were more likely to have someone spread rumors and were more likely to say that someone threatened to hurt them online¹
4. 15.3% of females said they had cyberbullied others while 13.4% of males have¹
5. Approximately 45.5% of students have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetimes¹
6. In the previous 30 days, cyberbullying experiences were the following types:¹
   1. 33.2% rumors spread online
   2. 28.7% mean or hurtful comments online
   3. 22.5% threatened to harm someone through a cell phone text
   4. 22.1% threatened to hurt me online
   5. 20.7% posted mean names or comments online with a sexual meaning
   6. 18.6% posted mean names or comments online about someone’s race or color
   7. 17.8% pretended to be me online
   8. 17.4% posted a mean or hurtful photo online of me
   9. 14.6% posted mean names or comments online about my religion
7. 14.4% of students have cyberbullied others
8. In the previous 30 days, cyberbullying offenses were the following types:¹
   1. 5.2% posted mean or hurtful comments about someone online
   2. 3.3% pretended to be someone else online and acted in a way that was mean or hurtful to them
   3. 3.5% threatened to hurt someone through a cell phone text message
   4. 3.6% threatened to hurt someone while online
9. 1 in 5 students experiences bullying in real life, and at least 37% are bullied online²
10. 81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person²
11. 90% of teens who have seen social media bullying say they have ignored it²
12. 9 in 10 victims will NOT inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse²
13. Bullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide²
14. About 75% of students have visited a website bashing another student²

7 States With Laws That Do Not Address Cyberbullying

While all states have criminal laws that can apply to bullying, not all specifically address electronic forms of bullying (i.e. cyberbullying). The following states are the only ones that don’t expressly include electronic forms of harassment in their criminal laws:¹

1. Maine
2. Minnesota
3. Nebraska
4. New Hampshire
5. New Mexico
6. Wyoming
7. Washington D.C.

5 Must-Know Cyberbullying Statistics For 2022

1. 36.5% of U.S. middle and high school students are victims of cyber bulling ³
2. New Hampshire is the state with the highest rate of cyberbullying (20.1%)³
3. 75% of online harassment takes place on Facebook³
4. 55% of online hate and harassment in the U.S. is from political views³
5. 36% of victims of harassment have stopped or reduced online activity³

Cyberbullying Statistics (Infographic)

Here’s a handy infographic that you can share to help create awareness for cyberbullying.

What Should I Do If I’m Being Cyberbullied?

If you are the victim of cyberbullying, find an adult you are comfortable with and open up to them about it. Ask for help and don’t keep your feelings bottled up inside. Having someone to talk to about it can help you feel less alone, and you can create a plan to make it stop.

Parents, if you think your child is being cyberbullied, you may want to consider monitoring their phone and online activity. Rear our guide on cyberbullying and how to stop it, including its causes, possible consequences, and preventative measures you can take.

Sources: [1] CyberBullying Research Center, [2] DoSomething, [3] Statista