Publication 29 April 2020

Cyberbullying: A review of the literature

AUTHOR

  • Claire Pershan Project Manager, Renaissance Numérique

Cyberbullying is an increasingly common problem, especially among young people, for whom much of their social lives take place online. Though we may be aware of the many dangers of cyberbullying, we are still in need of effective remedies. In this note, Renaissance Numérique provides an overview of the existing academic research on the subject of cyberbullying, in the hope of identifying themes for further attention and areas for concrete action. Rather than focusing on the extent of the problem as such, we are most concerned with intervention, specifically with prevention, detection and response. This note provides recommendations for all relevant stakeholders: families, schools, public authorities, platforms and children themselves, all of whom have a role to play in building an effective response to cyberbullying.

Key findings 

  • Cyberviolence consists of occasional acts of violence whereas cyberbullying consists of repeated acts of violence.
  • A power imbalance between the bully and victim may be linked to an imbalanced familiarity with digital tools.
  • The reflex for reprisial can be stronger in cyberbullying, turning the victim into the aggressor.
  • Most cases of cyberbullying occur outside of the school environment.
  • Cyberbullying effects disproportionately: girls, members of sexual, racial and ethnic minorities and children suffering from mental health or behavioral issues.
  • Victims supported or defended by bystanders are less depressed and anxious, have better self esteem and are less rejected by their peers.
  • When children understand that cyberbullying isn’t the norm, bullying rates decrease.
  • School programs to address cyberbullying are less efficient when they are conceived for the short-term rather than the long-term.
  • Students often feel that teachers and adults are not sufficiently aware of the problem, and are therefore unable to properly intervene.
  • There is a phenomenon of migration of bullying activity between platforms that deserves further investigation.
  • Children rarely read and understand the privacy policies of the services they use, and do not fully understand the boundaries between public and private in these spaces, or the diverse security options and recourse mechanisms that are available to them.
  • The most effective prevention and detection programs involve children themselves.
  • Despite a proliferation of resources available online on cyberbullying, searching for advice online as a coping mechanism for victims is less efficient than other strategies.