Cyberbullying
In schools, counselors spend time speaking with children who report being “bullied.” They look at each scenario and help youth understand the difference between being rude, mean, and bullying. Not every unkind thing said is considered bullying, and the same holds for cyberbullying.
If you want to learn more about how to determine the difference between being rude, mean or bullying, take a minute and read this article on Psychology Today that helps pull apart the differences. It’s a must-read if you have a middle school aged child or work with middle school aged children.
There are many cyberbullying resources and articles online; however, it can be easy to get lost or overwhelmed. That’s why we provide you with excellent resources to navigate bullying and cyberbullying issues.
Online Resources
Explore these online resources to learn all you need to know about cyberbullying and how to resolve cyberbullying issues. We share cyberbullying tips, research-based articles, blog posts, studies, and more.
Cyberbullying Research Center
The Cyberbullying Research center is your go-to resource for all things cyberbullying. They share resources for educators, victims, parents, and students about handling cyberbullying, where to report it online, how to help victims, and more.
StopBullying.gov
StopBullying.gov’s mission is to “provide information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying.” They also share helpful cyberbullying prevention and resource pages.
State Cyberbullying Laws
The Cyberbullying Research Center shared the cyberbullying bills and laws across the United States. Search the map to see what the laws and bills are for your state, such as if there are criminal and/or school sanctions for cyberbullying.
LGBTQ+ Support
LGBTQ+ youth are at an increased risk of being bullied. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, high school students who reported being lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) are cyberbullied 26.6% more than straight students. According to the source, this also increases the risk for depression, suicidal ideation, misuse of drugs, and more.
The Trevor Project: Bullying and Suicide Risk Among LGBTQ Youth
“Negative treatment by others, such as bullying, is a strong and consistent risk factor for youth suicide (Koyanagi et al., 2019), and LGBTQ youth experience bullying at significantly greater rates than their straight and cisgender peers (Reisner et al., 2015; Webb et al., 2021)”
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an excellent resource for LGBTQ+ youth struggling with bullying. The organization shares resources to help individuals come out and build healthy relationships. They also have a 24/7 immediate support chat, call, and text line for crisis counseling.
Connect Safely: Guide to LGBTQ+ Cyberbullying
This all-encompassing guide provides information to parents, educators, and youth about LGBTQ+ cyberbullying. Connect Safely shares information regarding online lifelines, what parents and family members can do to help, how to create a positive school environment, and more.