With today’s youth glued to their smartphones, digitally connected students face little to no escape when they become the target of cyberbullying. Chronic bullying during adolescence can induce psychopathology-relevant deviations and affect the normal development and structure of the brain.1 A 2022 National Institute of Health (NIH)-backed clinical study of more than 10,000 students found that victims of cyberbullying face an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts.2
There are 314 million school-aged children in the United States. Too few adults, including parents and educators know what is happening to digitally connected children when they are engaged on their devices, many for five to seven hours a day.
Adults have a duty to monitor online presence and social media activity to avoid bullying behavior or end it when discovered. Parents can face both civil and/or criminal liability for their child’s actions if another child is harmed as a result.