The School District’s Role in Combating Cyberbullying

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and as parents and school districts know, bullying is increasingly happening online. Principals across the country report bullying through “the use of computers, cell phones or other electronic devices” happens more frequently than in-person or offline bullying. 

Cyberbullying Statistics: What the Data Tells Us

Research continues to show a troubling upward trend:

• 26.5% of U.S. students ages 13–17 reported experiencing cyberbullying in the past 30 days (Cyberbullying Research Center, 2023)
  • Of those, 78% were subjected to mean or hurtful comments
• 37% of students ages 12–17 have been cyberbullied at some point (Cyberbullying.org)
• 15% of girls reported experiencing 4+ types of online abuse, compared to 6% of boys
• About 50% of LGBTQ+ students report being cyberbullied—making them the most frequent targets
• Only 1 in 4 teens believe that teachers or law enforcement intervene effectively (Pew Research Center, 2022)

These numbers illustrate a widespread problem that disproportionately affects vulnerable groups.

In 2023, research from the Cyberbullying Research Center found that 26.5% of U.S. students aged 13–17 reported experienced cyberbullying in the last 30 days. Of those victims, nearly 78%  experienced mean or hurtful comments online.

According to Cyberbullying.org, 37% of students between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online. Girls were more often victims. In fact, 15% of girls experienced four or more different types of cyberbullying, compared to 6% of boys. About half of LBGTQ+ students reported being cyberbullied, making these students the most frequent target of cyberbullies. 

Other studies have suggested cyberbullying is even more widespread. A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that half of teens are likely to experience cyberbullying, and of those, only 1 in 4 believe teachers or law enforcement effectively addressed instances of cyberbullying. 

Given how common cyberbullying has become, and with new anti-bullying legislation in almost every state, school districts need to understand the problem of cyberbullying and what they can do to combat it. 

The nature and dangers of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has devastating consequences. Children as young as 10 have died by suicide after being cyberbullied, and any type of bullying increases a child’s risk of anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, and trouble performing at school. 

Cyberbullying is arguably worse than offline bullying because of its ever-present nature. It doesn’t go away when a child leaves school for the day. Instead, bullies can use the internet to follow children wherever they go, and threats, rumors and pictures spread far and wide extremely quickly. 

“Monday is the new Friday,” Nancy Willard, director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use told Scholastic. "It used to be that hurtful interactions built up over the week and would blow up on Friday. Now when kids go back to school on Monday, they are upset because of what happened online over the weekend. There's no longer time to calm down.”

What Makes Cyberbullying So Harmful

Cyberbullying introduces a different kind of harm that's shaped by constant access, limited visibility, and long-lasting exposure. It doesn’t replace traditional bullying, but it reshapes the risks.

Bullying Extends Beyond School

In-person bullying typically ends when a student leaves school. Cyberbullying doesn’t. It follows students onto their phones, into their homes, and across weekends. That persistence can wear down a student’s sense of safety and recovery time. A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that 46% of U.S. teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying, and nearly one-third say it negatively affected their mental health.

Difficult to Detect

Online harassment often happens outside the view of teachers or parents—buried in disappearing messages, private group chats, or anonymous accounts. This makes it more difficult for adults to recognize the signs early or intervene before the damage is done.

Spreads Faster, Lives Longer

A rumor spread in the hallway might reach a few dozen students. A rumor posted online could reach hundreds in seconds. Content can be screenshotted, reshared, and saved—making embarrassment more public and longer-lasting. In surveys conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center, students consistently say this visibility is one of the most distressing aspects of being targeted online.

Long-term Emotional Consequences

Cyberbullying has been linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. In a CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students who were bullied online were nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who weren’t. These effects don’t just disrupt learning—they endanger lives.

“Now when kids go back to school on Monday, they are upset because of what happened online over the weekend,” said Nancy Willard, director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use. “There’s no longer time to calm down.”

Cyberbullying isn’t just a behavior problem—it’s a student health problem. And it requires a response that accounts for its reach, complexity, and lasting impact.

What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a form of harassment that takes place over digital devices—most commonly through text messages, social media, and other online platforms. Unlike traditional bullying, it doesn’t stop when a student leaves school. It can follow them home, continue overnight, and reach far beyond the classroom.

Because most of it happens out of sight, it can be hard for adults to recognize. Apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and Kik are designed to move fast, keep messages private, and make it easy to hide or delete content. That leaves educators and parents struggling to understand how the harm is happening—or how to stop it.

But the patterns are well-documented. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center report:

• 42% of teens say they’ve been called offensive names online or by text

• 33% have had false rumors spread about them

• 25% have received explicit images they didn’t ask for—and 7% say someone shared explicit images of them without consent

Even students who haven’t been directly targeted notice the impact. Among teens who believe social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, more than a quarter cite bullying and rumor-spreading as a major reason.

What Schools Can Do to Address Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying isn’t a problem schools can solve alone—but they play a central role in prevention and response. Districts that take a proactive, coordinated approach can reduce harm, support students, and build stronger relationships with families.

Recognize the warning signs

Reinforce anti-cyberbullying policies

Most schools have anti-bullying policies on paper—but policy alone doesn’t guarantee protection.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 88% of U.S. public schools provided staff with training on school or district policies related to discipline, bullying, or cyberbullying. 

Even when schools have anti-bullying or cyberbullying policies on the books, staff often lack confidence or training to translate them into action.

• In a U.S. study of teachers’ perceptions, 53% of educators said they were not confident in identifying cyberbullying, and 60% reported low confidence in managing it
• Additional survey data shows that while teachers are often involved in bullying policy development, both educators and support staff report needing more training — specifically on cyberbullying and related issues

Other research supports this gap. Reviews of school-based interventions show that educators widely acknowledge cyberbullying as a serious issue, but are largely unfamiliar with how it actually plays out in students’ online lives — especially on social media. 

The success of any policy depends on how well educators understand it, and how confident they are about enforcing.These findings make it clear: writing a policy isn’t enough. If staff aren’t trained or don’t feel prepared, students remain vulnerable.

Recognize the warning signs

School districts can write strong anti-cyberbullying policies. But unless educators know how to spot the signs, those policies stay on paper.

Cyberbullying often unfolds in places adults don’t see: private chats, anonymous apps, and disappearing messages. Many educators didn’t grow up with these tools, and traditional training rarely covers how they work. As a result, students may be struggling while the adults around them miss the signals or don’t know how to interpret them.

That makes recognition the first real test of a district’s policy. It’s not just about knowing what cyberbullying is; it’s about understanding what it looks like in students’ lives.

Staff should be trained to notice subtle but meaningful changes in behavior, including:

• Appearing distressed, withdrawn, or irritable while using devices
• Suddenly spending far more—or far less—time online
• Closing tabs, turning off screens, or hiding phones when adults enter
• Difficulty focusing in class, emotional outbursts, or uncharacteristic behavior

Districts can reinforce this awareness by involving parents. Hosting informational sessions or distributing clear guidance helps families notice changes early, and shows students that the adults in their lives are paying attention.

Policies are written with intention. But it’s the everyday observations and small conversations that give those policies power.

Educate students on cyberbullying and ask them to report it

Students need to know that teachers and administrators in your district care and understand the problem. Students may be reluctant to report cyberbullying to teachers for fear of looking like a “tattletale” or a “snitch,” or because they believe a teacher won’t take the problem seriously. Further, they may fear that they will be punished and their technology will be taken away.

Make sure your teachers and administrators encourage students to take screenshots of hurtful messages or posts to share with an adult. Teachers and administrators should also educate students on how they can intervene to stop cyberbullying when they witness it. Consider establishing an anonymous way to report cyberbullying at your school district, such as a dropbox or email account. 

Change the narrative around bullying. Help students understand that it is not their fault that they are bullied--they are not bullied because something about them is wrong or bad. Rather, it is that the bully is insecure and lashes out as a result. 

Use web content filtering or online monitoring to identify cyberbullies

Technology may be the problem, but it can also be part of the solution. Content filtering software, used by schools to prevent students from accessing inappropriate content, can include the ability to monitor students’ online activity for certain keywords and behaviors. 

This means your school can automatically generate alerts and reports to inform administrators, school safety officers, or school psychologists of activity that may indicate cyberbullying - even when cyberbullies are acting anonymously. 

For instance, monitoring software can cross-reference device information and time stamps to identify which students are using online forums to anonymously bully other students. This information is invaluable in eliminating doubt about who is posting what and identifying cyberbullies who may have otherwise been impossible to find. Further, search terms that may be early indicators of a student considering self-harm due to cyberbullying can be identified before it’s too late.

Search terms monitoring can provide school administrators, teachers and parents with peace of mind - no matter what corners of the internet students are in. It’s an indispensable part of keeping students cyber safe.