To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

Candidate Number - 0059

Centre Number – SG563
Centre Name – Global Indian International School
Issue - Effect of cyberbullying on youth mental health.
Research Question –
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the
psychological well-being of today’s youth?
Word Count – 2000 (Without heading and table of
contents and footnotes)
Heading Word Count – 51
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................3
CAUSES...............................................................................................................................3
CONSEQUENCES.................................................................................................................4
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.......................................................................................................4
NATIONAL..........................................................................................................................5
INDIA..........................................................................................................................................5
GREECE.......................................................................................................................................5
LOCAL.................................................................................................................................6
SINGAPORE................................................................................................................................6
PERSONAL..........................................................................................................................6
SOLUTIONS.........................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................7
SOURCE EVALUATION.........................................................................................................7
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

INTRODUCTION
In the digital age, where technology is deeply intertwined with the daily lives of today's
youth, cyberbullying has emerged as a pressing concern with potentially far-reaching
implications. The pervasive use of social media platforms, online forums, and messaging
applications has given rise to new avenues for harassment, leading to heightened worries
about its impact on the mental health of adolescents and young adults, “with an average of
17.9% adolescents being affected in England” 1.“While Saudi Arabia has a whopping 47% of
“2“children being affected by cyberbullying”1 and that mostly female cyberbullying is
prevalent around the world with about “50.9% of adolescent girls facing cyberbullying in
their lifetime”3,4.This Individual research document explores the question “To what extent
does cyberbullying affect psychological well-being of today’s youth?”. By investigating the
existing literature, empirical studies, and psychological perspectives, this individual report
aims to shed light on the complex interplay between cyberbullying and mental well-being,
also how they ultimately contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges posed by this
evil of digital space online, with some solutions to mitigate strain from cyberbullying.

CAUSES
“Anonymity gives bullies the power and confidence to bully someone by thinking that they
will not be discovered. Bullies being under social pressure may think their behavior is
acceptable.”5“Bullying can also be a result of the cycle of abuse” 6,7, i.e. they are
reciprocating, something that had happened to them. The National Council on Crime
Prevention reports that “a survey of teenagers, 81% said they believe cyberbullying occurs
because they think it’s funny. Because they don’t see victims’ reactions in person,
cyberbullies don’t realize how much damage cause.” 3.

Another thing that has recently gained more traction is “physical bullying turning into
cyberbullying.”8,9 Causing constant harassment that goes beyond typical teasing or
commenting to vent anger. Cyberbullying rates have also been on a new high due to support
of the LGBTQ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer), bringing out the
fact that cyberbullying is aggravated because of the victims gender, or their sexual
orientation, this was also seen in the “case of a 18 year old Rutgers university student Tyler
Clementi”,10 who was prompted to commit suicide after a video of a private moment between
him and a male counterpart had been released into the internet in 2010.11

1
Gohal, Gassem, et al. “Prevalence and Related Risks of Cyberbullying and Its Effects on Adolescent.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04542-0. Accessed 16 Aug.
2023.
2
DEEMA AL-KHUDAIR. “47% of Children in Saudi Arabia Have Come across Cyberbullying.” Arab News, 19 Mar. 2021, www.arabnews.com/node/1827856/saudi-arabia. Accessed 16 august 2023.
3
Magid, Larry. “Overall Increase in Cyberbullying - Girls 3 Times More Likely to Be Cyberbullied than Boys.” ConnectSafely, 26 July 2019, connectsafely.org/girls-three-times-more-likely-to-be-cyberbullied-thanboys/#:
~:text=Previous%20studies%20have%20found%20that.
4
Gaggle. “Why Cyberbullying Affects Girls More than Boys.” Www.gaggle.net, 4 Jan. 2022, www.gaggle.net/blog/speaks/why-cyberbullying-affects-girls-more-than-boys#:~:text=Educators%20and%20parents%20should
%20also.
5
DELETE CYBERBULLYING. “Why Do People Cyberbully?” Delete Cyberbullying, www.endcyberbullying.net/why-do-people-cyberbully
6
Gordon, Sherri. “8 Reasons Why Kids Cyberbully Others.” Verywell Family, Verywellfamily, 10 July 2020, www.verywellfamily.com/reasons-why-kids-cyberbully-others-460553.
7
Raypole, Crystal. “Cycle of Abuse: Understanding the 4 Parts.” Healthline, 30 Nov. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/relationships/cycle-of-abuse.
8
“Bullying and Cyberbullying | SchoolSafety.gov.” Www.schoolsafety.gov, 2019, www.schoolsafety.gov/bullying-and-cyberbullying.
9
Wordpress. 3.2 How Is Cyberbullying Different from “Traditional” Bullying? – Joining Forces to Combat Cyberbullying in Schools. socialna-akademija.si/joiningforces/3-2-how-is-cyberullying-different-from-traditional-
bullying/#:~:text=Research%20indicates%20that%20cyberbullying%20is%20rarely%20premeditated%20like%20traditional%20bullying.&text=Cyberbullying%20is%20often%20done%20impulsively.
10
Tyler clementi foundation. “Tyler Clementi’s Story • Tyler Clementi Foundation.” Tyler Clementi Foundation, tylerclementi.org/tylers-story-3/.
11
Hinduja, Sameer, et al. Bullying, Cyberbullying, and LGBTQ Students. 2020, cyberbullying.org/bullying-cyberbullying-sexual-orientation-lgbtq.pdf.
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

CONSEQUENCES
Cyberbullying has many negative effects on the victims and the bullies. There is
cyberbullying in all genders, “cyberbullies have started victimizing LGBTQ individuals” 1212,
it was also found that females were one of the most bullied online on topics like their
clothing, relationships, and physical attributes. “Females are also most impacted
psychologically” 13. Studies show “Females had a greater bolder response to the cyberbullying
stimuli in the right anterior cingulate cortex, which is responsible in processing emotional
expression” 14.

“Cyberbullying also impacts students’ education, bullied students show school refusal
behavior being prevalent, in bullied students. 15 Because they are afraid of being made fun in
school as well as online. This results in grades dropping because of the lack of motivation to
work or study 16. In a study by the BMC physiatry it showed that, 20% of their participants
considered leaving their school because of being cyberbullied, and expressed their wish to
stop using the internet, and 26% of the participants acknowledged that cyberbullying was
negatively affecting their academic performance.17,13.

Some extreme cases conclude with victims “Switching to drug abuse or alcohol at an early
age is a concern for adolescents, especially when they are emotionally low.” 16 There's a
misconception among teens that substances can serve as antidepressants, despite research
indicating that “alcohol may temporarily improve mood”, it can lead to addiction and
exacerbate depression, and the effects of alcohol can also cause fatally injuries. 18,19 this
behavior in adolescents is influenced by the development of their prefrontal cortex, a key
player in decision-making 20. The center for disease control and prevention of USA reports the
average suicidal rate for adolescents who have been cyberbullied was a whopping 13.9%, in
2023.13,21,22

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
The global awareness about cyberbullying has significantly increased since the 2010.
Globally 1 of 4 adults have not heard of it and only 1 or 3 parents worldwide know if their
child is a victim 23. According to a global survey conducted by IPSOS (global research
provider),the awareness of cyberbullying has increased 9% from 2011 in 28 countries,
according to the Cybersmile foundation a survey of 170,000 youth participants showed that 3
quarters of the victims have identified popular social media platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram, snapchat, and twitter as the common places for cyberbullying 23 .They emphasize
that the point of their survey is that it brings to light the intense situation that the victims are

1212
---. Bullying, Cyberbullying, and LGBTQ Students. 2020, ed.buffalo.edu/content/dam/ed/alberti/docs/Bullying-Cyberbullying-LGBTQ-Students.pdf.
13
Zayed, Ahmed. “Cyberbullying and Internet Addiction: Causes, Signs, and Prevention - the Diamond Rehab Thailand.” The Diamond , 10 Feb. 2023, diamondrehabthailand.com/cyberbullying-and-internet-
addiction/#:~:text=Physical%20health%20concerns%3A%20Individuals%20might.
14
Larisa T. McLoughlin, et al. “Cyberbullying and Adolescent Neurobiology.” Frontiers, 26 June 2020, www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01511/full.
15
Busman, Rachel. “Kid Refuses to Go to School | School Refusal Behavior.” Child Mind Institute, 28 Dec. 2023, childmind.org/article/when-kids-refuse-to-go-to-school/.
16
Kaspersky. “What Are the Effects of Cyberbullying?” Www.kaspersky.com, 23 Aug. 2021, www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/cyberbullying- effects#:~:text=The%20effects%20of%20cyberbullying
%20also.
17
Gohal, Gassem, et al. “Prevalence and Related Risks of Cyberbullying and Its Effects on Adolescent.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04542-0. Accessed 16 Aug.
2023.
18
“Why Teens Shouldn’t Drink Alcohol.” Parenting Montana, 28 Sept. 2021, parentingmontana.org/why-kids-shouldnt-drink-alcohol/.
19
Mental Health Foundation. “Alcohol and Mental Health.” Www.mentalhealth.org.uk, 2022, www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/alcohol-and-mental-health.
20
Divyangana Rakesh, et al. “Do Teenagers Really Make Bad Decisions?” Frontiers for Young Minds, kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2017.00053. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.
21
Vojinovic, Ivana. “Heart-Breaking Cyberbullying Statistics for 2024.” DataProt, 6 Feb. 2024, dataprot.net/statistics/cyberbullying-statistics/.
22
Bullying statistics . “Bullying and Suicide - Bullying Statistics.” Bullying Statistics, 7 July 2015, www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html.
23
Solutions, Madison Web. “Global Study Reveals over One Third of Children Experience Cyberbullying.” Cybersmile Foundation, www.cybersmile.org/news/global-study-reveals-over-one-third-of-children-experience-
cyberbullying.
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

put in when experiencing such torture online. “The UNICEF has also called for urgent action
for trainings, support resources, and the recheck of ethical guidelines in sectors being
connected online is essential, especially in academic institutions”.2424

The UNDRR also states that statistics show gender, disabilities, ethnic origin are all catalysts
for cyberbullying. Frontiers public health institution also states that the most common way of
cyberbullying is through verbal abuse, while some include sensitive information of the
victim, such as photos, the bullies usually target the various attributes of the victim, example
sexuality, gender, physical appearance.25. Moreover, cybersecurity giant Panda mediacenter
stated that in 2019 30% of parents reported that their children were being cyberbullied. “It is
clearly seen that cyberbullying is more in areas of higher population and lower or developing
online safety measures.” 26. The UN also published a report called “Cyber Violence against
Women and Girls “which calls to action the extreme forms of cyberbullying that can be
gender specific 27.

NATIONAL
INDIA
“As of May 21, 2023, India has the highest number of internet users, more than any country
in the world with an annual growth of 5.7% with 700,000 new users every day,” 28. Even
though it shows that India is progressing well, it also means that the online security risks are
high, the NCRB reported an increase of cyberbullying at a rate of 7.24% in 3 years from 2019
to 202229,30,31. Research shows the ever-growing attraction to platforms like Facebook and
Instagram having 242.53 million users and 75 million users.

The research identifies Facebook and Instagram as common platforms for targeting a wider
audience. Only 55% of accounted chatrooms from which 54% of chatrooms have reports of
cyberbullying. “Younger girls tend to feel safe and try exploring other forms of
communication”3232, mostly because of the lack digital etiquette. In response to this the
Indian government has launched various helpline services for women and children to contact
through as well as cyber cells and the laws for online abuse under the “section 66A of the
Information Technology Act.” 3333
GREECE
“Greece has the lowest reported cyberbullying rate” 3434. A research journal states Greece has
created a very comprehensive web of cyber security rules and regulations. “The government
2424
United Nations. “Bullying and Cyberbullying | UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.” Violenceagainstchildren.un.org, violenceagainstchildren.un.org/content/bullying-and-
cyberbullying-0.
25
touloupis, Thanos, and Christina Athenasiades. “Evaluation of a Cyberbullying Prevention Program in Elementary Schools: The Role of Self-Esteem Enhancement.” Frontiers, 23 Sept. 2022,
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980091/full .
26
Cook, Sam. “Cyberbullying Statistics and Facts for 2016 - 2018 | Comparitech.” Comparitech, Comparitech, 7 Dec. 2018, www.comparitech.com/internet-providers/cyberbullying-statistics/.
27
Faria Salman Asif, et al. “A Guide for Women and Girls to Prevent and Respond to Cyberviolence.” UN Women – Europe and Central Asia, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women
(UN Women), 2021, eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2022/01/a-guide-for-women-and-girls-to-prevent-and-respond-to-cyberviolence.
28
Deepak Mishra, et al. State of India’s Digital Economy Report 2023. 2023. IPCIDE, 2023, icrier.org/pdf/State_of_India_Digital_Economy_Report_2023.pdf
29
Roychowdhury , Amitabha. “India Battles Rising Cybercrime as Financial Fraud Escalates.” NewsClick, 30 Aug. 2023, www.newsclick.in/india-battles-rising-cybercrime-financial-fraud-escalates#:~:text=The%20National
%20Crime%20Records%20Bureau. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.
30
Pooja. “The Growing Threat of Cyberbullying in India.” Research Gate, July 2023, www.researchgate.net/publication/372724976_The_Growing_Threat_of_Cyberbullying_in_India.
31
Kaur, Manpreet, and Munish Saini. “Indian Government Initiatives on Cyberbullying: A Case Study on Cyberbullying in Indian Higher Education Institutions.” Education and Information Technologies, vol. 28, July 2022,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11168-4.

3232 Anderson, Monica. “Connection, Creativity and Drama: Teen Life on Social Media in 2022.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 16 Nov. 2022, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/11/16/connection-creativity-and-
drama-teen-life-on-social-media-in-2022/.

3333 Apoorva. “A Background to Section 66A of the IT Act, 2000.” PRS Legislative Research, 24 Mar. 2024, prsindia.org/theprsblog/a-background-to-section-66a-of-the-it-act-2000?page=2&per-page=1#:~:text=What%20does%20Section
%2066(A,computer%20or%20other%20communication%20devices.
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

has been collaborating with the European union agency for cybersecurity (ENISA)” 3535. As
for cyberbullying at schools, the Department of Phycology at the Aristotle university, recently
published a paper in which they have highlighted a preventive program called “TABBY
(threat assessment of bully behavior in youth) and its testing in groups of 6th graders without
special need students”3636. The study explains the intensive 240 student randomized survey in
various Greek schools, and how the pandemic has caused an increase in cyberbullying rates
from 8% to 12 %.

They noticed that the cyberbullying was stemming from special need students being bullied
in school, highlighting the fact cyberbullying is not just a one-off thing but a consistent wall
of attacks. Most teachers are taught the proper procedure to intervene into the fight. The
TABBY program has various sublevels to it which are not limited to a bully risk assessment
and school-based interventions, Greece constantly amends its program to keep it up to date
with the constant improvement in technology.

LOCAL
SINGAPORE
The Singapore government is doing a well-rounded job to prevent the number of victims
from reaching drastic numbers. According to popular news platform CNA, average rate is
only 7.3%. 3737. Research done in Singapore and America shows that half of the residents
have experienced cyberbullying at least once. The participants of the research mention that
cyberbullying isn’t something a person can forget in a day or two but something that stays in
the victim’s mind.

Furthermore “Singapore government is actively helping the victims with various mental
health camps and to help and decrease suicidal thoughts in individuals” 3838 by helping
increase their self-esteem, they also provide various ways that a personal help the government
and themselves when faced with a bully online, simple steps like blocking the person, saving
evidence in form of screenshots, reporting school cyberbullying issues to school admins, and
making parents pay more attention in their children’s online world.

PERSONAL
Beginning my research, it was sad to see people not understand the repercussions of hurtful
comments on someone, and the shocking part was that at times the person making the
comments didn’t even know the victim. Though after my research, knowing that there is
always and adult to help me if case I’m bullied online or the various measures that my
country is taking to try and keep students safe online, puts me to ease when surfing the
internet. My intensive research has also allowed me to learn the skill used to find bullied
students, and the ways I can help them.
3434 Kalogiannidis, Stavros, et al. “Relationship between Cyber Security and Civil Protection in the Greek Reality.” Applied Sciences, vol. 13, no. 4, Feb. 2023, p. 2607, https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042607. Accessed 27 Feb. 2023

3535
European Union. “2021 Consolidated Annual Activity Report - Enisa.” CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT, 2021, www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/corporate-documents/enisa-annual-activity-report-

2021.pdf.

36 36
Alfred. “Tabby.Eu.” TABBY.Eu, 13 Dec. 2022, www.tabby.eu/.

3737
Lee, Loraine. “The Big Read: Cyberbullying Is More Rampant and Damaging to Young Lives than We Think. It’s Time to Take It Seriously.” CNA, 30 Jan. 2023, www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cyberbullying-
damaging-young-lives-rampant-big-read-3238221.
3838
(MOH ) Singapore ministry of health. “MOH | News Highlights.” Www.moh.gov.sg, 5 Oct. 2023, www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/launch-of-national-mental-health-and-well-being-strategy.
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

SOLUTIONS
Even though cyberbullying is a very prevalent and a seemingly unstoppable issue, there are
multiple methods to try and reduce the impact of such atrocities being committed online, and
not all methods need to be implemented at a global scale.

The easiest way is reporting the incident, victims are scared to report the incidents because
they feel that they we be bullied more by reporting to authorities or teachers, which would be
easier for a much safer line of support in schools.

Another preventive method is education on the issue, people can learn about what to do and
what not to do when bullied. For parents and adults, helping them understand the ways to
recognize signs of cyberbullying, for victims and for bullies. 3939

Finally, “students can be advocated to use applications like “The Cyber Teen app” which aims
to encourage social media users and children to report cyberbullying incidents,” 4040.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the digital age's pervasive cyberbullying poses serious threats to mental health
globally. A deeper dive highlights anonymity-driven aggression to severe consequences like
suicidal thoughts. The issue requires comprehensive efforts and strategic efforts. National
initiatives, such as India's cyber helplines, Greece's preventive programs (TABBY), and local
measures, like Singapore's mental health support, are crucial for combating this growing
menace. Even though we can’t change the thought of a large amount of people at once, it is
still possible to bring about a change in the mentally of the people around us.

SOURCE EVALUATION.
The article from Arab News could be biased to their country moreover could also not have
accurate data, though because it is national news it is also more accurate than blogs as the
information would be coming from the government making it more accurate.

Source 21 being a blog could be opinion driven and could have incorrect information though
I strongly agree with the source because it contained lots of relevant information. After cross
examining with government statistic, the information was credible. The source is also recent
as it was published on the 30 th august the blog was also not very supporting of the laws in
place for cybersecurity, but it critically examined the areas where the government lacked in
keeping citizens safe online.

Though the same cannot be said for the source 21 making me to reconsider the reliability of
the source, the site had adverts for registering for an appointment with a specialist, giving
impressions of a vested interest, alluring the readers to try and reserve appointments. I still

39 39
UNICEF. “Cyberbullying: What Is It and How to Stop It.” UNICEF, www.unicef.org/end-violence/how-to-stop-cyberbullying. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

40 40
Tiel, Jarno van. “Cyberbullying, an Overlooked and Ever Growing Danger to The ...” Cyberbullying, an Overlooked and Ever Growing Danger to the Development of Children, Nov. 2020,
files.kidsrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/24103147/KidsRights-Cyberbullying-report-2020.pdf.
To what extent does cyberbullying affect the psychological well-being of today’s youth?

considered the source because being a clinic they would have had frequent encounters with
cyberbullied individuals.