CYBERBULLYING IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL:PERSPECTIVE OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS
September 2011
Conducted by the ABA
Center on Children and the Law
Funding through HHS/HRSA/MCHB Partners in Program Planning for
Adolescent Health Supported by the American School
Counselor Association (ASCA)
METHODOLOGY
ASCA posted link to Blog and Web page, reaching 28,000 members
20-minute survey
FINDINGS
BACKGROUND
700 Respondents Majority in schools of 6-12th graders Typical school size: under 1,000
students Male to female ratio: 55%-45% Typical number of counselors: 3 or less Respondents from all 50 states plus DC,
Panama, and Virgin Islands
How much of a problem is cyberbullying in your school?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Cyberbullying
Small problem
Big problem
No problem
How prevalent is cyberbullying compared with other types of bullying?
Cyberbullying is:
Equally as prevalent 47%More prevalent 32%Less prevalent 21%
Have any students targeted by cyberbullies come to your attention in the past 12 months?
Yes 93%
No 7%
Number of cyberbullying targets seen in one year by counselors
1-10 students 71%11-20 students 19%21-30 students 4%over 30 students 6%
5 is most common number of student targets seen in one year
CHARACTERISTICSWhat are the most common attributes of vulnerable students?
Gender: Female Dating
relationship Sexual orientation
What are the most common attributes of students who tend to cyberbully?
Gender: Female Family dysfunction Identified as “at
risk” Dating relationship
status
IMPACTDo student targets show symptoms of distress?
Yes 98%
No 2%
What symptoms of distress have the student targets shown?
From most to least frequently observed: Anxiety Depression Drop in grades/poor grades Head- or stomach-aches Truancy Sleep problems Suicidal behavior (1/4 of 400 respondents)
Have you been trained on handling cyberbullying?
No 54%
Yes 46%
SCHOOL RESPONSEHow often are cyberbullying incidents referred for disciplinary action?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Referred
Usually
Sometimes
Never
Does your state have a cyberbullying law?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Law?
Yes
No
Don't Know
Does your school follow a policy/protocol when responding to cyberbullying?
Yes 71%
No 29%
What does the policy/protocol address?
In decreasing order: Intervention Referral to law enforcement Prevention Confidentiality Identification All of the elements listed Investigation only
Typical Interventions
In decreasing order:
Parent conference In-school counseling SRO/law enforcement involvement Out-of-school suspension In-school suspension Referral to services Peer mediation Behavior contract Expulsion Other
EFFECTIVENESS: Counselors’ Opinions Interventions
Most effective Prevention/education Parental involvement Plus SRO/early intervention/peer
mediation
Least effective Ignoring the issue/doing nothing Lack of protocol, policy or training Suspension/punishment
Barriers to Providing Services, Prevention, or Intervention
Targets’ fear of retaliation 73%Lack of legal and/or admin support 15%
Additional Comments
Lack of time, counselors, laws, training, accountability
Societal problem, needing parental involvement, and “this is just what middle school kids are like”
Schools should be prepared and be proactive Students need to report and be educated Need more research
Contact Information
American Bar AssociationCenter on Children and the Law
Sharon Elstein, Research Director [email protected]
Eva Klain, Project [email protected]
