School Climate & Safety News in Brief

Looking for Cyberbullies? Try Instagram

By Sasha Jones — August 28, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Teenagers are experiencing cyberbullying on Instagram more than on any other social-media platform.

That’s what Ditch the Label, an international anti-bullying organization, discovered from its survey of more than 10,000 young adults, ages 12 to 20, in the United Kingdom, about their experiences with bullying, both online and in person.

Fifty-four percent said they had been bullied, while 17 percent said they had experienced cyberbullying. Of those who had been cyberbullied, 42 percent had faced it on Instagram. The results suggest that Instagram has replaced Facebook as cyberbullies’ medium of choice.

Still, most participants disagreed with the statement, “I’m scared of being bullied or trolled online,” and 23 percent said yes when asked, “Is cyberbullying just part of growing up?” Additionally, 69 percent admitted that they had done something abusive toward another person online.

A separate survey by the Royal Society for Public Health, an independent health education charity in the United Kingdom, found that Instagram is the most negative of all social-media sites, resulting in users’ increased feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and unhappiness with their body image.

According to the survey of more than 1,400 14- to 24-year-olds, the only major social-media platform that was ranked as having a positive impact on health and well-being was YouTube, which was rated high for enabling a sense of awareness, emotional support, self-expression, and community building.

Ditch the Label attributes some of the negative impact of social media with encouraging the habit of presenting oneself differently online and offline. Twenty percent of participants said the content they post online makes their life look more exciting, and half said they are more confident online.

The findings come as cyberbullying draws increasing attention on both sides of the Atlantic. First lady Melania Trump earlier this year launched the Be Best campaign, which aims to teach children about the importance of social, emotional, and physical health, with a concentration on social media.

“Social media is an inevitable part of our children’s daily lives,” she said at a conference on cyberbulling last week. “This is why Be Best chooses to focus on the importance of teaching our next generation how to conduct themselves safely and in a positive manner in an online setting.”

A version of this article appeared in the August 29, 2018 edition of Education Week as Looking for Cyberbullies? Try Instagram

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Opinion What Do Restorative Practices Look Like in Schools?
Such practices teach students how to resolve disputes amicably, own their actions, and be empathetic and forgiving.
9 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety School Dress Codes Often Target Girls. What Happens When Male Teachers Have to Enforce Them?
Male teachers say the task can put them in a risky and uncomfortable position.
11 min read
Image of articles of clothing on a coat hook outside a school entrance.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
School Climate & Safety Are School Buses Safe? An Expert Explains
A perennial concern is getting new attention.
4 min read
Photo of rescue workers and turned over school bus.
Brandy Taylor / iStock / Getty Images Plus
School Climate & Safety A School Removed Bathroom Mirrors to Keep Students From Making TikToks. Will It Work?
The desperate strategy for keeping students in class illuminates the challenge schools face in competing with social media.
5 min read
Empty blue school bathroom showing the bathroom sinks without mirrors.
iStock/Getty