Snapshot
The Internet and mobile has enriched human life by providing a simpler and many times funner way of doing things. However negative behavior has also followed such as teen bullying. Teens are using texting, social network sites like Facebook and other Internet channels to bully their peers.

 

Key Points

  • Bullying is something that is getting significant media attention, but this negative behavior is not restricted to schools, it’s moved online and on mobile. When engaging with teens aged 12 to 17 69% reported that people in their age group were mostly kind on social networks. Looking at the 18+ demographic this figure increases to 85%.

 

teen bulleying, teens that witnessed meaness or bullying or curelty on social networks

 

  • When teen respondents were asked if someone had been mean or cruel to them 15% of teens aged 12 to 17 said yes. When asked about bullying specifically 8% said yes, and that it had happened online.
      • 12% of teens said that the bullying occurred in person.
      • 9% said bullying occurred through text messaging.
      • 7% by phone call.

 

teen bullying, teens that have been bullied in the last 12 months online texting and phone

 

  • The most likely demographic segment susceptible to teen bullying are teens aged 12 to 13. Additionally, teen girls are more likely than teen boys to get bullied.
      • 17% of younger teens are more likely to get bullied than older ones, aged 14 to 17 (10%).
      • Girls are the most likely targets of teen bullying, 12% online versus 4% for teen boys. 13% of girls are bullied by texting versus 5% for boys. 11% of girls are bullied via a phone call versus 4% for boys.
      • When teens have been bullied only 36% of them have reached out to someone for advice or help.

 

frequency of bullying by teens and teens that have tried to stop bullying on social networks

 

  • 20% said people in their age group were mostly unkind, this figure is only 5% among 18+ adults.
  • Teens were asked about different experiences and feelings that certain social networking activities had on them. 34% reported that a social networking experience did not make them feel good about themselves.
      • 58% said they felt closer to another person, while 41% did not agree.
      • 25% said social networking resulted in a face to face argument.
      • 22% agreed that social networking ended a friendship among teens.
      • 13% of teens said that social networking caused a problem with their parents.

 

Teen bulleying, Teen behavior and feelings from social networking activities.

 

  • Diving deeper into the topic teens were asked if they had observed online cruelty or someone being mean. 47% said they only observed this once, while 12% of teens aged 12 to 17 said frequently.
      • 29% of teens answered sometimes, compared to 18% of adults 18+.
      • 11% of teens said never and 29% for adults.
  • 25% of teens frequently have intervened and defended a victim of meanness on social networks. While 2% frequently joined in, 7% sometimes and 12% once in a while. The top behavior, 29% frequently ignored the bullying.

 

 

Source Pew Internet (December 5, 2011)

Respondents & Study Method US teens.

Reference Pew Internet

Image Teen bullying by John Steven Fernandez

 

 

 

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