Cyberbullying and its Victims

Survey says one in six high school students has been the victim of electronic bullying in the past year, and girls are twice as likely as boys to be victimized.

May 1, 2013

One in six high school students has been the victim of electronic bullying in the past year, and girls are twice as likely as boys to be victimized.

Those were the findings of researchers who analyzed data from the most recent Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says in a news release that the study also found that about a third of high school students surveyed spend more than three hours a day playing video games or using a computer for something other than school work.

“As technology continues to advance and computers become that much more accessible, cyberbullying will continue to grow as a hurtful weapon against kids and teens,” says study author Andrew Adesman, a pediatrician who is chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.

The study, “Electronic Bullying and Recreational Video/Computer Time in U.S. High School Students,” was presented in May at a meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.