Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Media and Cyberbullying

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teens, Screens, and Social Connection

Abstract

All over the world, teens are constantly engaged on social media: refreshing their Facebook feeds, liking a post on Instagram, sending a Snapchat message to their friends. In the United States, 95% of adolescents now have a smartphone and as mobile-optimized social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and others continue to grow in popularity, adolescents are spending more of their time navigating a complex virtual world. With this massive increase in virtual social participation comes the benefit of accessing information, gaining knowledge, and connecting with others, and the negative cost of social conflict, primarily in the form of cyberbullying. Studies demonstrate that cyberbullying, or the intentional harm of others through computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices, is becoming increasingly pervasive among youth. This impacts both the victim and the perpetrator. Being a victim of cyberbullying has various negative health implications, including increased rates of depression, suicidality, and substance use in youth.

This chapter aims to define cyberbullying in the context of social media and explore the wide-ranging impact that social media cyberbullying has on youth mental health. Recommendations for how parents, schools, and clinicians can help children navigate social media safely and approach cyberbullying are provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. John A, et al. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review. J Med Internet Res. 2018;20(4):e129.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Smith PK, et al. Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008;49(4):376–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Triantafyllopoulou P, Clark-Hughes C, Langdon PE. Social media and cyber-bullying in autistic adults. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021:1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  4. What is cyberbullying. Stopbullying.gov [cited 2022 3/16/22]. www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/index.html.

  5. Anaraky RG, et al. The dark side of social media: what makes some users more vulnerable than others? In Conference companion publication of the 2019 on computer supported cooperative work and social computing. 2019, Association for Computing Machinery: Austin, TX, USA. p. 185–189.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Giumetti GW, Kowalski RM. Cyberbullying via social media and well-being. Curr Opin Psychol. 2022;45:101314.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kowalski RM, et al. Bullying in the digital age: a critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychol Bull. 2014;140(4):1073–137.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Campbell M, Bauman S. Reducing cyberbullying in schools: international evidence-based best practices; 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Watts LK, Velasquez B, Behrens PI. Cyberbullying in higher education: a literature review. Comput Human Behav. 2017;69:268–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Peled Y. Cyberbullying and its influence on academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students. Heliyon. 2019;5(3):e01393.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. 10 forms of cyberbullying. Kids Safety 2015. https://kids.kaspersky.com/10-forms-of-cyberbullying/.

  12. Hamm MP, et al. Prevalence and effect of cyberbullying on children and young people: a scoping review of social media studies. JAMA Pediatr. 2015;169(8):770–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Englander E, et al. Defining cyberbullying. Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S148–s151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Whittaker E, Kowalski RM. Cyberbullying via social media. J School Violence. 2015;14(1):11–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Hinduja SP, et al. Cyberbullying identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research Center; 2021. Cyberbullying.org.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kowalski RM, Limber SP. Electronic bullying among middle school students. J Adolesc Health. 2007;41(6 Suppl 1):S22–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Nikolaou D. Does cyberbullying impact youth suicidal behaviors? J Health Econ. 2017;56:30–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Clair N.R.a.S.S., Yik Yak app disabled in Chicago amid principals' worries; 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Anderson M, Teens JJ. Social media and technology 2018. Pew Research Center; 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kutok ER, et al. A cyberbullying media-based prevention intervention for adolescents on instagram: pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2021;8(9):e26029.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Aboujaoude E, et al. Cyberbullying: review of an old problem gone viral. J Adolesc Health. 2015;57(1):10–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Selkie EM, Fales JL, Moreno MA. Cyberbullying prevalence among US middle and high school-aged adolescents: a systematic review and quality assessment. J Adolesc Health. 2016;58(2):125–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Hellstrand K, et al. Prevalence of cyberbullying in patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021;37(6):e334–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Andrew M, Jiang J. Social media and technology 2018. Pew Research Center; 2019. [cited 2022]. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Hamilton HA. Use of social networking sites and risk of cyberbullying victimization: a population-level study of adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2015;18(12):704–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Craig W, et al. Social media use and cyber-bullying: a cross-national analysis of young people in 42 countries. J Adolesc Health. 2020;66(6s):S100–s108.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. McHugh MC, Saperstein SL, Gold RS. OMG U #Cyberbully! an exploration of public discourse about cyberbullying on twitter. Health Educ Behav. 2019;46(1):97–105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Juvonen J, Gross EF. Extending the school grounds?--Bullying experiences in cyberspace. J Sch Health. 2008;78(9):496–505.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Kowalski RM, et al. Racial differences in cyberbullying from the perspective of victims and perpetrators. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2020;90(5):644–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Zhu C, et al. Cyberbullying among adolescents and children: a comprehensive review of the global situation, risk factors, and preventive measures. Front Public Health. 2021;9:634909.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Chan TKH, Cheung CMK, Lee ZWY. Cyberbullying on social networking sites: a literature review and future research directions. Information Management. 2021;58(2):103411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Wegge D, et al. The strong, the weak, and the unbalanced: the link between tie strength and cyberaggression on a social network site. Social Sci Comput Rev. 2015;33(3):315–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Peluchette JV, et al. Cyberbullying victimization: do victims’ personality and risky social network behaviors contribute to the problem? Comput Human Behav. 2015;52:424–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Boer M, et al. Social media use intensity, social media use problems, and mental health among adolescents: investigating directionality and mediating processes. Comput Human Behav. 2021;116:106645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Schacter HL, Greenberg S, Juvonen J. Who's to blame?: The effects of victim disclosure on bystander reactions to cyberbullying. Comput Human Behav. 2016;57:115–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Müller CR, et al. Does media use lead to cyberbullying or vice versa? Testing longitudinal associations using a latent cross-lagged panel design. Comput Human Behav. 2018;81:93–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ademiluyi A, Li C, Park A. Implications and preventions of cyberbullying and social exclusion in social media: systematic review. JMIR Form Res. 2022;6(1):e30286.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Hoge E, Bickham D, Cantor J. Digital media, anxiety, and depression in children. Pediatrics. 2017;140(Suppl 2):S76–s80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Marengo N, et al. Cyberbullying and problematic social media use: an insight into the positive role of social support in adolescents-data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in Italy. Public Health. 2021;199:46–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Fisher BW, Gardella JH, Teurbe-Tolon AR. Peer cybervictimization among adolescents and the associated internalizing and externalizing problems: a meta-analysis. J Youth Adolesc. 2016;45(9):1727–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Williams KR, Guerra NG. Prevalence and predictors of internet bullying. J Adolesc Health. 2007;41(6 Suppl 1):S14–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Machimbarrena JM, et al. Internet risks: an overview of victimization in cyberbullying, cyber dating abuse, sexting, online grooming and problematic internet use. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(11)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Peng Z, et al. Associations between Chinese adolescents subjected to traditional and cyber bullying and suicidal ideation, self-harm and suicide attempts. BMC Psychiatry. 2019;19(1):324.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Morin HK, Bradshaw CP, Kush JM. Adjustment outcomes of victims of cyberbullying: the role of personal and contextual factors. J Sch Psychol. 2018;70:74–88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Connell NM, et al. Badgrlz? Exploring sex differences in cyberbullying behaviors. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 2014;12(3):209–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Cross D, et al.. Australian covert bullying prevalence study; 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Li Q. Cyberbullying in schools: a research of gender differences. School Psychol Int. 2006;27(2):157–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Hemphill SA, Heerde JA. Adolescent predictors of young adult cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among Australian youth. J Adolescent Health. 2014;55(4):580–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Alhajji M, Bass S, Dai T. Cyberbullying, mental health, and violence in adolescents and associations with sex and race: data from the 2015 youth risk behavior survey. Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794x19868887.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  50. Navarro R, Yubero S, Larrañaga E. Cyberbullying across the globe: gender, family, and mental health. Springer; 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Zych I, Ortega-Ruiz R, Del Rey R. Systematic review of theoretical studies on bullying and cyberbullying: facts, knowledge, prevention, and intervention. Aggression Violent Behav. 2015;23:1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Hinduja S, Patchin JW. Personal information of adolescents on the Internet: a quantitative content analysis of MySpace. J Adolesc. 2008;31(1):125–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Slonje R, Smith PK. Cyberbullying: another main type of bullying? Scand J Psychol. 2008;49(2):147–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Ybarra ML, et al. Examining characteristics and associated distress related to Internet harassment: findings from the Second Youth Internet Safety Survey. Pediatrics. 2006;118(4):e1169–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. McLoughlin LT, et al. Neurobiological underpinnings of cyberbullying: a pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2020;41(6):1495–504.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Chang FC, et al. Relationships among cyberbullying, school bullying, and mental health in Taiwanese adolescents. J Sch Health. 2013;83(6):454–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Kokkinos CM, Baltzidis E, Xynogala D. Prevalence and personality correlates of Facebook bullying among university undergraduates. Comput Human Behav. 2016;55:840–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Vitoroulis I, Vaillancourt T. Meta-analytic results of ethnic group differences in peer victimization. Aggress Behav. 2015;41(2):149–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Goebert D, et al. The impact of cyberbullying on substance use and mental health in a multiethnic sample. Matern Child Health J. 2011;15(8):1282–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Edwards L, Kontostathis AE, Fisher C. Cyberbullying, race/ethnicity and mental health outcomes: a review of the literature. Media Commun. 2016;4:71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Wang J, Iannotti RJ, Nansel TR. School bullying among adolescents in the United States: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. J Adolesc Health. 2009;45(4):368–75.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  62. Cassidy W, Faucher C, Jackson M. Adversity in university: cyberbullying and its impacts on students, faculty and administrators. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(8)

    Google Scholar 

  63. Alrajeh SM, et al. An investigation of the relationship between cyberbullying, cybervictimization and depression symptoms: a cross sectional study among university students in Qatar. PLoS One. 2021;16(12):e0260263.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  64. Abreu RL, Kenny MC. Cyberbullying and LGBTQ Youth: a systematic literature review and recommendations for prevention and intervention. J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2018;11(1):81–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Albdour M, et al. The impact of cyberbullying on physical and psychological health of arab american adolescents. J Immigr Minor Health. 2019;21(4):706–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Viner RM, et al. Roles of cyberbullying, sleep, and physical activity in mediating the effects of social media use on mental health and wellbeing among young people in England: a secondary analysis of longitudinal data. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2019;3(10):685–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Kashy-Rosenbaum G, Aizenkot D. Exposure to cyberbullying in WhatsApp classmates‘ groups and classroom climate as predictors of students‘ sense of belonging: a multi-level analysis of elementary, middle and high schools. Children Youth Services Rev. 2020;108:104614.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Mitchell KJ, et al. What features make online harassment incidents upsetting to youth? J School Violence. 2016;15(3):279–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Kircaburun K, et al. Problematic online behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults: associations between cyberbullying perpetration, problematic social media use, and psychosocial factors. Int J Mental Health Addiction. 2019;17:891–908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Giordano AL, Prosek EA, Watson JC. Understanding adolescent cyberbullies: exploring social media addiction and psychological factors. J Child Adolescent Counseling. 2021;7(1):42–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Saridakis G, et al. Individual information security, user behaviour and cyber victimisation: an empirical study of social networking users. Technol Forecasting Social Change. 2016;102:320–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. Ho M, Quynh TT, Gu P, Chuanhua. Cyberbullying victimization and depression: self-esteem as a mediator and approach coping strategies as moderators. J Am College Health. 2021:1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  73. Liu C, Liu Z, Yuan G. The longitudinal influence of cyberbullying victimization on depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms: the mediation role of rumination. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2020;34(4):206–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Child Study Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Jenna Margolis & Dinara Amanbekova

Authors
  1. Jenna Margolis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dinara Amanbekova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA

    Alma Spaniardi

  2. Office of Mental Health-New York City Children’s Center, New York, NY, USA

    Janki Modi Avari

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Margolis, J., Amanbekova, D. (2023). Social Media and Cyberbullying. In: Spaniardi, A., Avari, J.M. (eds) Teens, Screens, and Social Connection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24804-7_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24804-7_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-24803-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-24804-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation