Bullying can happen anywhere. As the world shifts to an online presence, it only makes sense that bullying would shift to an online format as well. We often think of bullying as something that kids do, but as the statistics show, adults are just as likely to be Facebook bullies.
87% of cyberbullying incidents that targeted teenagers used Facebook as the platform of choice.
Facebook Bullying
What is remarkable about Facebook bullying is that the average victim is a 19 year old male when it comes to cyberbullying. Why is online bullying so common? It could be because of the feeling of anonymity that being behind a computer screen provides. There is no immediate fallout from cyberbullying. A mean, spiteful, or hateful comment can be posted now and then the bully can go on with their day without concern… or so they believe.
- At least 1 million children have been bullied on Facebook in the last year.
- 85% of 19 year old men say that they have experienced at least one instance of online bullying or trolling in their lifetime.
- The percentage of 18 year old girls who say they’ve been bullied or trolled: 75%.
- 67% of teens in all age demographics say that they have either been bullied or know someone who has.
- 49% of Facebook bullying victims will also experience at least one episode of bullying off-line as well.
- Just 37% of teens who say that someone has been a bully to them online have actually reported the incident to Facebook.
- Less than 1% of teens say that their first response to online bullying would be to tell a teach. Just 17% say that they would tell their parents.
- 34% of Facebook bullying or trolling incidents last for more than 30 days.
- 1 in 5 kids online say that they are experiencing “extreme” cyberbullying on a daily basis.
- 1 in 6 parents know their child has been bullied via a social networking site.
- Around one-fifth of youngsters are picked on by bullies on Twitter.
- The most frequently victimized were 19-year-old males.
Facebook might seem like a safe place to be on the internet, but it really is just an extension of real life. If someone enjoys being a bully, then they’re going to be an online bully as well. The problem that people face is that there really isn’t a place to hide online, even with security profiles set to their maximum levels. Someone somewhere is a friend and that is access a bully can use to leave bothersome, threatening comments.
Facebook Bullying Can Happen Anywhere
- 1 in 4 students say that they have experienced cyberbullying on their smartphone or other preferred mobile device. Since 80% of teens regularly use a mobile phone, it is the most common tool used in Facebook bullying.
- 10% of adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras.
- Girls are more likely to be involved in cyberbullying than boys despite the higher prevalence of boys being victims of online bullying.
- 70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online.
- 68% of teens say that Facebook bullying is a serious problem, but more than 80% say that it is easier to get away with online bullying compared to off-line bullying.
- 90% of teens who see cyberbullying say that they do their best just to ignore it.
- The percentage of teens who say that they have seen others tell a Facebook bully to stop: 84%.
- 3 in 4 students say that they have visited at least one website that was specifically created to bully another student.
- 30% of students admit to being perpetrators of bullying or trolling online.
- LGBTQI students have a 5x higher risk of experiencing Facebook bullying when compared with the rest of the general population.
The problem with Facebook bullying is that people can see it, but not need to take any responsibility to stop it. Most people will, at least according to observations, at least respond to the issue and stand up for others. With 83 million fake Facebook profiles active, however, it becomes very easy to be anonymously bullying someone. How can this be stopped? Since only one-third of victims will ever tell anyone about the incident, encouraging victims of bullies and trolls to report the issue to Facebook is a great place to start.
Facebook Bullying Isn’t Just About The Kids
- 27% of working adults say that they have been bullied at least once at work. 7% of adults say that the bullying has occurred in the last year – that’s 9.8 million people.
- 21% of working adults have either seen bullying happen or know about it.
- 72% of American adults say that they are aware that adult bullying exists.
- Just 7% of American adults say that they see Facebook bullying as a problem, but 85% of American parents say that their teen is on Facebook.
- 37% of the victims of adult bullies are best described as being compassionate and kind individuals.
- Only 6% of people who are the victims of adult Facebook bullying are also perpetrators on others.
One-third of people who see Facebook bullying happen will stand up for the victim every time they see it happen. If that happens just once, the figure jumps up to 90%. How can we begin to stamp out these Facebook bullies? Reporting them for abuse is the first step. Blocking bullies so they can’t post on a page any more is a good second step. A sad fact is that kids who are bullies will typically grow up to become adults who are bullies. Because being a troll is so easy to do online, it seems like harmless fun. The only problem is that bullying is never really harmless.
Here’s Why We Need to Build Awareness
- One-tenth of all middle school and high school students have been on the receiving end of ‘hate terms’ hurled against them.
- 55% of all teens who use social media have witnessed outright bullying via that medium.
- The most common types of cyber bullying tactics reported are mean, hurtful comments as well as the spreading of rumors.
- Victims of cyber bullying are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem and to consider suicide as a result.
We often say that the right way to fight a bully is to stand up strong and become an aggressor. Becoming a bully to fight a bully, however, doesn’t make much sense. In order to overcome this problem, we have to come together to make bullying become such a negative stigma that people find less value in bullying than becoming one. Until that happens, 5 out of 6 households in the US will still likely believe that Facebook bullying isn’t an issue to worry about.
Although millions of people visit Brandon's blog each month, his path to success was not easy. Go here to read his incredible story, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors." If you want to send Brandon a quick message, then visit his contact page here. Brandon is currently the CEO of Aided.