Bullying is defined as an aggressive, intentional act or behavior carried out by a group or an individual repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself. Despite the growth of social media and the internet, face-to-face bullying remains considerably more common than cyberbullying.
According to the study, less than 1% of 15-year-olds in England report only being bullied online regularly. Almost one in four (27%) experience only face-to-face bullying methods.
With 9 out of 10 of the teenagers who face online bullying also face regular traditional bullying. The researchers suggest that cyberbullying is an additional tactic in the bullies’ arsenal. Both forms must be tackled to prevent bullying and improve teenagers’ resilience.
In the study, the experience of only cyberbullying was found to have a minimal association with well-being and life satisfaction.
Lead author Dr Andrew Przybylski from Oxford University’s Oxford Internet Institute said, “Despite common perceptions and the growth of the online world for teenagers, our study finds that cyberbullying, on its own, is relatively rare, with face-to-face bullying remaining most common among teenagers. Cyberbullying is best understood as a new avenue to victimize those already being bullied in traditional ways, rather than a way to pick on new victims.”
Scientists conducted a questionnaire round to evaluate bullying and mental well-being over two months in more than 110,000 15-year-olds across England.
The teenagers were asked to rate how often they faced certain types of bullying in the past two months. Two to three incidents were classified as regular bullying.
These included being called mean names, made fun of, or teased in a hurtful way; being left out of things on purpose, excluded from a group of friends, or completely ignored; being hit, kicked, pushed, shoved, or locked indoors; having lies or false rumors spread about them to make others dislike them.
Nearly a third (30%, 33363 teenagers) of all teenagers in the study reported experiencing some form of regular bullying – including one in three (36%) girls and one in four (24%) boys.
Based on the data, scientists found that almost 27% of teenagers face traditional bullying. Less than 1% face cyberbullying and 3% face both types on a regular basis.
After combining bullying incidents, scientists found that the most common forms were being called mean names or teased. Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying were the least common.
Teenagers’ who faced both types of bullying were five times more likely to report the lowest levels of well-being. However, people with poor mental health or low levels of well-being may also face the same situation.
Co-author Professor Lucy Bowes said, “Bullying is a major public health problem, and our findings support the urgent need for interventions that target both forms of bullying in adolescence.”
Journal Reference
- Dr Andrew K Przybylski, Lucy Bowes. Cyberbullying and adolescent well-being in England: a population-based cross-sectional study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Volume 1, Issue 1p19-26September 2017. DOI:10.1016/S2352-4642(17)30011-1
