When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn Did you know that for many teens, online bullying has become more common than traditional schoolyard bullying?
The latest cyberbullying statistics reveal troubling patterns, with nearly one in four teens facing harassment online. From hurtful comments on social media to targeting kids’ chat platforms, the rise of cyberbullying is a serious issue with harmful effects.
This is why we’re featuring reputable data compiled from the latest available reports, so you can explore the data highlighting the urgent need for action.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 26.5% of teens said they were cyberbullied, which was even more than the 25% who experienced bullying in person (Cyberbullying, 2023a).
- Over half of teens (53%) in 2022 saw cyberbullying as a big issue, with Black teens (70%) and Hispanic teens (62%) being the most concerned (Pew Research, 2022).
- By 2024, Instagram’s ability to spot and remove bullying content had improved massively, jumping from 35% in 2020 to 96.9% (Meta, 2024).
- Hurtful online comments, a form of verbal bullying, affected 30.4% of teens in 2023, making it the most common type of cyberbullying (Cyberbullying, 2023b).
- Girls aged 15-17 were the hardest hit in 2023, with 38% dealing with two or more kinds of online harassment (WHO, 2024).
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Key Cyberbullying Statistics 2024
Knowing cyberbullying facts and statistics is important to tackle this increasing issue that affects teens and children everywhere. By looking at the latest data, we can better understand the size of the problem, spot trends, and find ways to reduce the negative effects of cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying Cases: An Overview
Cyberbullying is becoming just as common as in-person bullying, making it critical to analyze recent statistics on cyberbullying to understand its growing impact.
During the pandemic, school bullying dropped sharply as students stayed home, but cyberbullying spiked as teens spent more time online. With schools back to normal, cyberbullying rates are still rising.
Combining cyberbullying in school statistics and offline bullying data gives us a full picture of how kids are being targeted.
In 2022, most teens agreed that cyberbullying is a big issue. Over half (53%) said it was a major problem for their age group (Pew Research, 2022).
However, opinions differed based on background:
- 70% of Black teens and 62% of Hispanic teens thought it was a major issue, compared to 46% of White teens.
- Teens from lower-income households (62%) were more likely to see it as a major problem than those from wealthier homes (47%).
- Urban teens (65%) were more concerned about cyberbullying than suburban or rural teens (around 50%).
- Democratic-leaning teens (60%) were more likely than Republican-leaning teens (44%) to see it as a big problem.
Cyberbullying on Social Media Statistics
The latest cyberbullying statistics for 2024 show just how serious online bullying has become, giving us valuable insights into its impact on teens today. Certain features in kids’ chat platforms make it easier for bullies to target others without being held accountable.
However, recent cyberbullying on social media statistics show that the overall prevalence of bullying and harassment on Facebook and Instagram is low (Meta, 2024).
- On Instagram, the rate was about 0.08% between April and June 2024.
- On Facebook, the rate was about 0.09% between April and June 2024.
- 7.8 million pieces of content were removed between April and June 2024.
- The highest amount actioned was 9.5 million pieces from January to March 2022.
Instagram removed even more content.
Between April and June 2024, 10.1 million pieces of bullying and harassment content were taken down. This is a huge increase compared to 2.3 million pieces during the same period in 2020.
Overall, Meta has made big improvements in handling bullying and harassment.
- On Facebook, proactive detection increased from 14% in early 2020 to nearly 89% in 2024.
- On Instagram, proactive detection grew from 35% in early 2020 to 96.9% by mid-2024.
The amount of content removed has also grown over the years.
Cyberbullying Statistics Over The Years
When you look at cyberbullying facts and statistics, it’s clear that the numbers have grown steadily over time.
Between 2018 and 2022, the number of boys admitting to cyberbullying others increased from 11% to 14%, while for girls, it went up from 7% to 9% (WHO, 2024).
This increase was consistent across most countries, genders, and age groups, except for 15-year-old girls, where the rates stayed the same.
In fact, in the 30 days prior to the study (Cyberbullying, 2023b), 26.5% experienced cyberbullying—up from:
- 23.2% in 2021
- 17.2% in 2019
- 16.7% in 2016
The effects of bullying remain significant, with nearly a fifth (19.2%) of teens staying home from school because of cyberbullying in 2023.
In 2016, only 10.3% of teens reported staying home from school because of cyberbullying.
Furthermore, more than half of teens (54%) saw online bullying in schools as a major issue (Cyberbullying, 2023a).
Back in 2016, less than half (43%) of students said cyberbullying was “a big problem.”
However, not all the news is bad. Serious forms of cyberbullying, like threats, have slightly decreased.
For example, online threats fell from 22.6% in 2021 to 20.7% in 2023.
Furthermore, fewer teens said cyberbullying had a major effect on their school life. The figure went down from 14.3% in 2021 to 13.5% in 2023.
Types of Bullying to Be Aware of in Cyber Space
In 2023, there are several common ways that teens experience cyberbullying (Cyberbullying, 2023b):
- 30.4% were hit with mean or hurtful comments online, one of the most common forms of verbal bullying.
- 28.9% were excluded from group chats or texts on purpose.
- 28.4% had rumors spread about them online.
- 26.9% felt embarrassed or humiliated by something posted online.
- 22.5% were contacted repeatedly, even after asking the person to stop.
- 20.7% received online threats.
- 15.9% had comments of a sexual nature posted about them.
- 12.8% had personal information shared online without permission.
Meanwhile, in 2022, almost half of US teens aged 13 to 17 (46%) had experienced at least one type of cyberbullying (Pew Research, 2022).
Here’s what we know:
- The most common form was offensive name-calling (32%).
- About 22% had false rumors spread about them.
- 17% received unsolicited explicit images.
- 15% were constantly asked about their whereabouts by someone other than a parent.
- 10% were physically threatened online.
- 7% had explicit images of them shared without their consent.
More than a quarter (28%) of teens said they faced more than one type of cyberbullying.
Demographic Statistics on Cyberbullying
Looking at cyberbullying statistics over the years, it’s clear that it’s on the rise, especially for certain groups.
In 2022, 12% of teenagers said they had cyberbullied someone at least once or twice in the past few months (WHO, 2024).
Boys were more likely to admit to this behavior (14%) compared to girls (9%).
In fact, in 2022, boys consistently showed higher rates of cyberbullying than girls (WHO, 2024).
In Europe, the highest rates for boys were found in Bulgaria, Latvia, and Lithuania, while the lowest for girls were reported in Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.
In 2023, girls were more likely to be targeted than boys (Cyberbullying, 2023b).
Nearly two-thirds (59.2%) of girls had been cyberbullied in their lives, compared to around half (49.5%) of boys.
In the month prior to the study, 28.6% of girls and 24.2% of boys reported being cyberbullied.
Furthermore, in 2022, girls (32%) were more likely than boys (24%) to report experiencing multiple forms of online harassment (Pew Research, 2022).
Older teens aged 15-17 were particularly affected (32% compared to 22% of 13-14-year-olds). For older teen girls, the numbers are even more striking.
Interestingly, cyberbullying seems to peak at age 13 for both boys and girls in many countries (WHO, 2024).
This suggests that early adolescence is a particularly risky time for this behavior, highlighting the importance of addressing the issue during these years.
Marginalized Groups
The reasons teens believed they were targeted vary (Pew Research, 2022).
- 31% of teens who were cyberbullied thought it was because of how they looked.
- 22% believed it was due to their gender.
- 20% said their race or ethnicity played a role.
- 12% attributed it to their sexual orientation.
- 11% thought their political views were the cause.
Older teen girls again stand out. Among 15- to 17-year-old girls, 21% thought they were targeted because of their looks. For comparison, only about 11% of younger teens or boys of any age reported the same.
Race and ethnicity also play a role. Black teens (21%) were much more likely than Hispanic teens (11%) or White teens (4%) to feel they were targeted because of their race.
Economic status also seems to play a role in some countries (WHO, 2024).
For boys, differences in cyberbullying rates between wealthier and less wealthy groups were seen in six countries in 2022, while for girls, these differences appeared in 13 countries.
However, there was no clear trend linking wealth or poverty to higher rates of cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying by Country
Ireland
Some countries, like Ireland, have shown sharp rises in cyberbullying increase statistics over the past few years.
While many kids report positive experiences online, the numbers are dropping. Only 43% of 8- to 12-year-olds said they had mostly positive experiences in the 2023-2024 academic year (Cybersafekids, 2024).
Unfortunately, 1 in 4 children in this age group reported being cyberbullied:
- 28% of girls were targeted.
- 22% of boys experienced bullying.
The situation gets worse for 12- to 14-year-olds, where the rate of cyberbullying jumps to 38%.
Older children are also more likely to experience multiple forms of bullying online.
Children spend much of their time online in familiar spaces.
- Gaming platforms are the top activity for 8-12-year-olds.
- YouTube is the most popular platform, followed by Roblox for girls (54% with accounts) and Fortnite for boys (48%).
However, nearly a quarter (23%) of incidents that bothered or upset children happened on Roblox kids chat, often involving threats, scams, or harassment.
On social media, children who spend most of their time there are more likely to experience cyberbullying.
42% of children who use social media the most reported being bullied, compared to 24% on gaming platforms and 19% while watching videos.
- 35% of 8-12-year-olds have unrestricted online access, up 4% from last year.
- 19% reported having no rules about online activity, compared to 14% last year.
- 77% of kids are unsupervised, and 83% use devices in their bedrooms.
By the time kids reach secondary school (ages 12-14), they have even more freedom online (Cybersafekids, 2024).
- 97% own a smartphone, making it the most popular device.
- 61% go online whenever they want, compared to 35% of younger kids.
- Social media has become the main focus, with 41% of older kids spending most of their time on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.
Unfortunately, this freedom comes with increased risks (Cybersafekids, 2024).
- 46% of 12-14-year-olds hold public accounts on social media, compared to 28% of younger kids.
- 39% of older kids post videos of themselves online, double the number for younger children.
These behaviors lead to higher rates of cyberbullying.
Over a third (38%) of older kids reported being bullied online, and the types of bullying they face include:
- 62% reported verbal bullying via receiving hurtful messages.
- 26% had nasty comments posted about them.
- 20% were excluded from group chats.
Australia
Cyberbullying focused on physical appearance (ARC) is a growing problem, especially for teenage girls. It often targets things like body shape, size, or facial features.
In 2023, the prevalence of ARC among Australian teenage girls (average age of 15) was pretty high (Prince et al., 2024).
- 62.2% of girls said they had experienced ARC.
- 49.7% were victims, meaning they were bullied about their physical appearance.
- 2.7% admitted to being the bully themselves.
- 9.8% were both victims and bullies, meaning they bullied others after being targeted.
- Only around a third (37.8%) said they hadn’t experienced ARC.
Here’s what was targeted:
- Body shape and size: 82%
- Facial features (like acne or teeth): 77%
- Clothing or style: 69%
- Muscles or body tone: 52%
- Skin color: 33%
- Age: 35%
- Disabilities: 26%
ARC has a big impact on how teens feel about themselves.
Compared to girls who haven’t experienced ARC, victims reported:
- Feeling more worried about their body shape (scoring 4.3 out of 6, compared to 3.43 for non-victims).
- Feeling less confident about their appearance (scoring 2.27 out of 5, compared to 2.69).
- Feeling more shame about their bodies (scoring 3.52 out of 4, compared to 2.86).
- More signs of eating disorders, like extreme dieting or worrying about weight (scoring 4.01 out of 6, compared to 3.08).
ARC also made many teens want to change their appearance.
- 96% wanted to change their body shape or size by dieting or exercising.
- 95% felt they needed to change their look (like hair, makeup, or clothes).
- 81% considered cosmetic surgery (e.g., nose job or boob job), and 40% thought about it often.
England & Wales
In 2023, bullying remained a big issue in England and Wales, both in-person and online (ONS, 2024).
In fact, 19.1% faced online bullying, with girls (22.5%) being more affected than boys (16.0%).
Around a tenth (10.9%) received nasty messages, and another tenth (9.6%) were called names or insulted.
More than half (50.2%) of online bullying victims faced multiple forms of harassment.
Furthermore, a lot of online bullying (64.7%) was carried out by someone from school.
In 2023, most children told someone they were cyberbullied.
In fact, over half (56.3%) of online victims reported the cyberbullying. However, 18% of online victims didn’t tell anyone.
More than half of online bullying victims (52.9%) felt that schools weren’t handling it well.
Meanwhile, only 24.3% of students who hadn’t been bullied felt that schools weren’t handling cyberbullying well.
Cyberbullying Effects on Mental Health Statistics
Cyberbullying is a growing concern, and its connection to mental health challenges, including suicidal behaviors, is becoming clearer via cyberbullying effects on mental health statistics.
Cyberbullying suicide statistics show that in 2022, 7.6% of young adolescents reported experiencing suicidality after being cyberbullied (Arnon et al., 2022).
- 7.5% had suicidal thoughts.
- 1.5% had attempted suicide.
Victims of cyberbullying were far more likely to experience suicidality (22.4%) than those uninvolved in cyberbullying (6.1%).
Those who were both cyberbullying victims and perpetrators faced the highest risk, with 24.2% reporting suicidality.
In fact, the study found that being a victim of cyberbullying significantly increases the risk of suicidality.
- Victims of cyberbullying were 4.2 times more likely to experience suicidality compared to those who weren’t bullied.
- This risk remained high even when factors like family conflict, school environment, and mental health were considered (1.8 times more likely).
Interestingly, those who bullied others online did not show the same increased risk of suicidality.
The study on cyberbullying suicide statistics also compared cyberbullying with traditional forms of bullying (Arnon et al., 2022).
It found:
- Victims of offline bullying were 3.6 times more likely to experience suicidality.
- Those who bullied others offline also showed a higher risk (2.8 times more likely).
However, cyberbullying is distinct because it often happens in private, leaving victims feeling isolated and unsupported.
This is why cyberbullying suicidal death statistics are so alarming—it shows how the effects of bullying online can have such a lasting impact on mental health.
Furthermore, cyberbullying depression statistics reveal that in 2022, 33% of females and 16.6% of males who were cyberbullying victims showed depressive symptoms (Maurya et al., 2022).
Adolescents exposed to cyberbullying were 2.07 times more likely to develop depression compared to those who were not.
How to Stop Bullying: Teens’ Suggestions for Solutions
When it comes to solutions, teens had strong opinions on what could help stop bullying (Pew Research, 2022).
- Half (50%) believed criminal charges for bullies or permanently banning them from platforms would help a lot.
- 42% thought deleting harmful posts would make a big difference.
- 37% said that requiring real names and photos on accounts could help.
- 30% felt that schools monitoring social media activity could reduce bullying.
Black teens (70%) were particularly optimistic about banning users as a solution, compared to Hispanic teens (59%) and White teens (42%).
Essentially, teens believe stricter policies could significantly improve cyberbullying in schools statistics and create safer environments.
Teens also didn’t feel adults were doing a great job addressing cyberbullying (Pew Research, 2022).
- 66% thought parents were doing a good or excellent job.
- Only 40% said the same about teachers.
- 37% believed law enforcement was effective.
- Just 25% felt social media companies were handling it well.
- Only 18% thought elected officials were doing a good job, with 44% saying they were doing a poor job.
Teens who have experienced cyberbullying are even more critical. Over half (53%) of cyberbullied teens said elected officials are failing, compared to 38% of those who hadn’t faced harassment.
Ultimately, teens believe that taking serious action, like criminal charges, could help lower cyberbullying suicidal deaths statistics.
The Bottom Line
The rise in cyberbullying is a clear warning for anyone who cares about keeping young people safe. With cyberbullying statistics showing steady growth every year, it’s obvious that action is urgently needed.
However, there is progress—social media platforms are getting better at detecting and removing harmful content, and growing awareness is pushing schools and governments to do more.
These numbers should motivate us to make the internet a safer place for everyone.
FAQs
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References
- Cyberbullying Continues to Rise among Youth in the United States – Cyberbullying Research Center (Cyberbullying)
- 2023 Cyberbullying Data – Cyberbullying Research Center (Cyberbullying)
- A focus on adolescent peer violence and bullying in Europe, central Asia and Canada. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the 2021/2022 survey. Volume 2 (Who)
- Community Standards Enforcement | Transparency Center (Transparency.meta)
- Trends and Usage Report – CyberSafeKids (Cybersafekids)
- Appearance-related cyberbullying and its association with the desire to alter physical appearance among adolescent females | Journal of Eating Disorders | Full Text (Jeatdisord.biomedcentral)
- Teens and Cyberbullying 2022 | Pew Research Center (Pewresearch)
- Bullying and online experiences among children in England and Wales – Office for National Statistics (Ons.gov)
- No Title Available (Watermark.silverchair)
- The effects of cyberbullying victimization on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults: a three year cohort study from India | BMC Psychiatry | Full Text (Bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral)
