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Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Psychological Distress: a Regional Census of High School Students

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Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Psychological Distress: a Regional Census of High School Students RESEARCH AND PRACTICE Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Psychological Distress: A Regional Census of High School Students Shari Kessel Schneider, MSPH, Lydia O’Donnell, EdD, Ann Stueve, PhD, and Robert W. S. Coulter, BS Recent national attention to several cases of Objectives. Using data from a regional census of high school students, we suicide among youth victims of cyberbullying1,2 have documented the prevalence of cyberbullying and school bullying victim- has raised concerns about its prevalence and ization and their associations with psychological distress. psychological impact. Most states now have Methods. In the fall of 2008, 20406 ninth- through twelfth-grade students in legislation in place that requires schools to MetroWest Massachusetts completed surveys assessing their bullying victimi- address electronic harassment in their antibully- zation and psychological distress, including depressive symptoms, self-injury, ing policies,3 yet schools lack information about and suicidality. cyberbullying correlates and consequences Results. A total of 15.8% of students reported cyberbullying and 25.9% and how they may differ from those of school reported school bullying in the past 12 months. A majority (59.7%) of cyberbully- bullying. To inform schools’ efforts, research is ing victims were also school bullying victims; 36.3% of school bullying victims needed that examines the overlap between were also cyberbullying victims. Victimization was higher among nonheterosex- ually identified youths. Victims report lower school performance and school cyberbullying and school bullying and identifies attachment. Controlled analyses indicated that distress was highest among which youths are targeted with either or both victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] types of bullying. It is also necessary to un- were from 4.38 for depressive symptoms to 5.35 for suicide attempts requiring derstand whether the psychological correlates medical treatment). Victims of either form of bullying alone also reported of cyberbullying are similar to those of school elevated levels of distress. bullying and whether students targeted with both Conclusions. Our findings confirm the need for prevention efforts that forms of bullying are at increased risk of psy- address both forms of bullying and their relation to school performance and chological harm. mental health. (AmJPublicHealth.2012;102:171–177. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011. With reports indicating that 93% of teens 300308) are active users of the Internet and 75% own a cell phone, up from 45% in 2004,4 there is great potential for cyberbullying among youths. address the overlap between school and cyber- and age.11,19 Sexual orientation has been consis- Yet the extent of cyberbullying victimization and bullying victimization has wide variation in tently linked with traditional bullying.20---22 De- its prevalence relative to school bullying is un- findings, indicating that anywhere from about spite recent media attention to cases of suicide clear. Studies have found that anywhere from one third to more than three quarters of youths among sexual minority youths who have been 9% to 40% of students are victims of cyberbul- bullied online are also bullied at school.11,13,14 cyberbullied,23 accounts of the relationship be- lying,5 --- 7 and most suggest that online victimiza- The distinct features of cyberbullying have led tween cyberbullying and sexual orientation are tion is less prevalent than are school bullying to questions about the sociodemographic char- primarily anecdotal, with little documentation of and other forms of offline victimization.8,9 Strik- acteristics of cyberbullying victims compared with the extent to which nonheterosexual youths are ingly few reports provide information on youths’ those of school bullying victims. Although nu- victimized. The wide range of definitions and involvements in bullying both online and on merous studies of school bullying have found that time frames used to assess cyberbullying com- school property. boysaremorelikelytobevictims,15,16 the extent plicates the comparison of the prevalence and Cyberbullying has several unique charac- of gender differences in cyberbullying is un- correlates of cyberbullying across studies, and teristics that distinguish it from school bullying. clear.5 Some studies have found that girls are rapid advances in communications technology Electronic communications allow cyberbully- more likely to be victims of cyberbullying,9,10 yet render it difficult to establish a comprehensive ing perpetrators to maintain anonymity and other studies have found no gender differ- and static definition. Furthermore, there is give them the capacity to post messages to ences.8,17,18 Age is another characteristic in which wide variation in the age and other demo- a wide audience.10 In addition, perpetrators may cyberbullying patterns may differ from tradi- graphic characteristics of the samples, with feel reduced responsibility and accountability tional bullying. Although there is a decreasing many studies employing small, nonrepresen- when online compared with face-to-face situa- prevalence of traditional bullying from middle to tative samples. tions.11,12 These features suggest that youths who high school,16 some studies suggest that cyber- In addition to comparing the sociodemo- may not be vulnerable to school bullying could, bullying victimization increases during the mid- graphics of cyberbullying victims with those of in fact, be targeted online through covert dle school years,8,10 and others have found no school bullying victims, it is important to un- methods. The limited number of studies that consistent relationship between cyberbullying derstand whether cyberbullying is linked with January 2012, Vol 102, No. 1 | American Journal of Public Health Kessel Schneider et al. | Peer Reviewed | Research and Practice | 171 RESEARCH AND PRACTICE negative school experiences, as is the case with psychological distress, ranging from depres- excluded by another student or group of school bullying. School bullying is widely sive symptoms to suicide attempts. students.’’ Responses from these 2 questions known to be associated with many negative were categorically grouped into 4 categories of indicators, including lower academic achieve- METHODS bullying victimization: cyberbullying victim ment, lower school satisfaction, and lower only, school bullying victim only, both cyber levels of attachment and commitment to The MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey is and school bullying victim, and neither. school, known as school bonding.24,25 Because a biennial census survey of high school students Psychological distress. Depressive symptoms, most cyberbullying occurs outside school,19,26 in the western suburbs and small cities of the suicidal ideation (seriously considering suicide), it is uncertain whether a similar relationship Boston metropolitan area that has the goal of and suicide attempts (any attempt and an at- exists for cyberbullying. A few studies have monitoring trends to inform local and regional tempt requiring medical treatment) were mea- linked cyberbullying to negative school experi- school and community policies and practices. sured using items about behavior in the past 12 ences, such as lower academic performance27 The region is home to 26 high schools serving months.37 Self-injury was assessed by the item and negative perceptions of school climate.8 predominantly middle- and upper-middle class ‘‘How many times did you hurt or injure yourself Although these studies suggest that cyberbully- families. The survey employs a census rather on purpose? (For example, by cutting, burning, or ing may be a contributing factor, more research than sampling procedure so that each district bruising yourself on purpose).’’38 Responses is needed to determine the extent to which can monitor student behaviors and identify weredichotomizedintoyesornocategories. school attachment and performance are related health issues that may vary by grade, gender, Sociodemographics. Sociodemographic char- to cyberbullying experiences. and other sociodemographic characteristics. acteristics included gender, grade (9---12), The known link between school bullying In fall 2008, 22 of 26 high schools in the race/ethnicity (Asian, African American or and psychological harm, including depression region participated in the survey; these schools Black, Hispanic or Latino, Caucasian or White, and suicidality2 8 --- 31 has also raised concerns serve 86% of all public high school students or mixed or other), and sexual orientation about how cyberbullying is related to various in the region. Pencil and paper, anonymous (responses grouped as ‘‘heterosexually identi- forms of psychological distress. An emerging surveys were conducted with all 9th- through fied’’ vs ‘‘nonheterosexually identified,’’ the body of research has begun to identify psycho- 12th-grade students present on the day of ad- latter of which encompassed gay or lesbian, logical correlates of cyberbullying that are similar ministration. Parents and guardians were notified bisexual, other, and not sure). to the consequences of traditional bullying, in- in advance and given the opportunity to view Individual-level school characteristics. School cluding increased anxiety and emotional dis- the survey and opt out their child(ren); students performance was measured through self-reported tress.6,11,32 There are also reports that online also provided assent. Youths (n=20406) com- grades coded as ‘‘mostly
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