Introduction to Cyberbullying

Some children bully others through e-mail, instant messages, and web sites, a phenomena that is often called "cyberbullying"

Young people are using the Internet more than ever. A recent survey found that 99 per cent of Canadian students have used the Internet, and 48 per cent use it for a least an hour a day (Media Awareness Network 2001). They use it to conduct research, to play games, and increasingly to connect with their friends and others: the majority of Canadian students use e-mail, chat rooms, and instant messaging, and a growing number have cell phones that can send text messages.

Although the majority of youth report positive experiences using these technologies, there are exceptions. Some children bully others through e-mail, instant messages, and web sites, a phenomena that is often called "cyberbullying." A recent study found that 7 per cent of young people in the US had been bullied online in the previous year, and 15 per cent had been an online aggressor at least once in the previous year (Ybarra & Mitchell 2004a).

Cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on its victims, who may experience many of the same effects as children who are bullied in person, such as a drop in grades, low self-esteem, a change in interests, or depression. The emerging literature suggests that cyberbullying is a significant health and psychological issue for young people online (Ybarra & Mitchell 2004a; Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wolak 2000).

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