Purpose
Sexual cyberbullying is any sexually aggressive or coercive behavior facilitated by electronic media. Professionals who support youth experiencing the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system, homelessness, and/or disconnection from school and work (i.e., opportunity youth) identified a need for research-based information and resources to support their work with young people who may experience sexual cyberbullying. Sexual cyberbullying may have a detrimental effect on youth who have prior experiences with trauma, unstable living arrangements, and/or a lack of supportive adults in their lives. Furthermore, some of these youth may rely on digital platforms to stay connected with family and friends from whom they have been separated, increasing their risk for being victims of sexual cyberbullying.
This research summary:
- Defines various forms of sexual cyberbullying
- Reports what we know about the prevalence of these online behaviors
- Discusses the factors that increase the risk for or protect youth against sexual cyberbullying as well as the potential consequences of experiencing sexual cyberbullying
- Reviews what is known about preventing sexual cyberbullying
- Shares information about relevant laws and resources for youth-supporting professionals who want to help youth who may experience sexual cyberbullying
Overview and Implications
- Definitions of sexual cyberbullying are inconsistent. Youth-supporting professionals should be aware of the inconsistent definitions of sexual cyberbullying and the different forms that sexual cyberbullying can take.
- The risk for and prevalence of sexual cyberbullying varies by gender identity, sexual orientation, and age. Youth-supporting professionals should keep gender, sexual orientation, and age-related differences in sexual cyberbullying in mind when working with young people with diverse characteristics and experiences.
- Sexual cyberbullying involving minors is illegal in all jurisdictions; however, laws are inconsistent across jurisdictions. Youth-supporting professionals who want to help youth who have experienced or been accused of sexual cyberbullying should familiarize themselves with the laws in their state.
- Few sexual cyberbullying prevention programs are evidence-based. Because there are few prevention programs and/or curricula focused on sexual cyberbullying, youth-supporting professionals may need to rely on programs focused on cyberbullying broadly, in-person sexual harassment, or in-person stalking for information related to sexual cyberbullying. Evaluations of these types of prevention programs suggest that skill and knowledge-building components should be used to reduce sexual aggression.
Prevalence of Cyberbullying
This section of the research summary focuses on what we know about the prevalence of cyberbullying in general and certain forms of sexual cyberbullying (sexting and cyberdating abuse). Unless otherwise specified, the prevalence rates are based on general population samples of U.S. teens. Hence, they may underestimate the prevalence of cyberbullying among populations likely to be at elevated risk such as youth who experience the child welfare and/or justice systems, homelessness, and/or disconnection from school and work.
Cyberbullying
Prevalence estimates of general cyberbullying vary due in part to differences in how the behavior has been defined and measured. A 2022 Pew Research Center study asked teens about different forms of cyberbullying using a definition of cyberbullying similar to the definition of cyberbullying we use in this brief. Thaat study found that 46% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 reported ever experiencing at least one of the following cyberbullying behaviors: offensive name calling; being subject of false rumors; receiving explicit images they did not ask for; having explicit images of them shared without their consent; physical threats; and/or persistent questioning about where they are, what they are doing, or who they are with someone other than a parent.